LEAD STORY
What’s Next For CNN?
Once all is said and done, 2022 will go down as one rocky year for CNN. In its 40-plus years, the news network has not experienced as much tumult in one year as it is now.
Brian Stelter’s departure and the canceling of Reliable Sources are the latest dark clouds to hover over the network. With CNN CEO Chris Licht’s ominous warning that more changes are coming, the dark days are set to stick around a little bit longer.
Reasons for Stelter’s departure have varied and have possibly created many talking points within the CNN hallways. Was it because of John Malone, who wants CNN to report the news and avoid any bias? (A perception that more than likely is cemented from his watching of Fox News) Or was it because Reliable Sources was a low-rated show hosted by a news anchor making nearly $1 million per year? Or was Licht trying to rid the network of Zucker loyalists?
Licht is in the driver’s seat and is starting to remake CNN in his vision and that of his boss David Zaslav. The mandate has been that CNN should straddle down the middle and report the news. Analysis and combative hosts are no longer part of the network’s bread and butter. Stelter may have been a casualty of that shift.
Unlike his bombastic predecessor, Licht has been very quiet with his movements. His management style may have unnerved many within the network due to his slow and stealth approach, a technique that many are not used to.
Zucker’s New York office was located within CNN’s newsroom amidst the noise, enveloping him in the action while it took place. In contrast, Licht’s office is located several floors above, alongside other Warner Bros. Discovery executives — distancing himself from the newsroom fervor.
Unlike Zucker, he hasn’t done any press since his start; all we know about him are his public appearances and the leaked notes from his companywide town halls. Licht has kept his cards close with regards to what he wants to be done at CNN.
Stelter’s sudden departure was the first clue about what the new CNN will look like. It rocked the network and all those who closely followed the network. Licht hadn’t tinkered with CNN’s lineup until now, and it wasn’t subtle.
The dark clouds formed quickly and are expected to linger on for a while as CNN’s transformation under Licht begins. Who stays, who goes? Only a few within his ranks knows that answer.
What is clear is a new era at CNN is upon us, and we all need to get used to it.
(The Guardian, The Daily Beast, Vox, Associated Press)
RECAP
Netflix Planning To Charge $7-$9 For Its Ad-Supported Tier
As Netflix prepares to launch its cheaper ad-supported tier, many have been wondering what the price point would be like and what type of commercial load it would carry. The streaming service might be considering a price point of between $7-$9 per month — this is almost half the cost of its current most popular plan. Netflix is also looking to limit its commercial load to about four minutes per hour. It plans to show commercials before and during some programs and not after. Children’s programming and original movies will be exempt from having ads under this plan. Netflix wants to provide almost the same quality service as its ad-free options for those willing to pay for the ad-supported tier, which is set to debut towards the end of this year. (Bloomberg and Mashable)
Kay Adams To Host Show On New FanDuel TV Network
She was a beloved fixture on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football for six years, but now Kay Adams has moved on and will be the face of the soon-to-be-launched FanDuel TV. The horse racing channel TVG Network will be rebranded into FanDuel TV, and Adams will anchor a new morning show for the new cable network. The new show will air at 11 am ET, and the network and the broadband aspect of it, FanDuel Plus, will launch this September. FanDuel TV’s primary focus will be sports betting. Still, the network will also feature hours of live sports programming from the National Basketball League, the Chinese Basketball League, and European pro leagues. The network will also have content from Pat McAfee, his PMI Network, and The Ringer sports platform. (Front Office Sports and Variety)
FS1 Looking To Pair Up Joy Taylor And Emmanuel Acho
FS1 is looking to pair two of its popular hosts, Joy Taylor and Emmanuel Acho, with a new afternoon show. Taylor currently is the co-host of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, while Acho can be seen on Speak for Yourself alongside Marcellus Wiley. The new plan calls for Taylor moving to Acho’s show, where they could also be joined by former NFL running back LeSean McCoy, giving the show another pro-player voice. No word yet on what will happen to Wiley. Meanwhile, Jason McIntyre would fill the spot vacated by Taylor on Cowherd’s show. FS1 still hasn’t found an afternoon program that it likes, and it is hoping that maybe this grouping, when officially announced, might resonate with viewers. (Front Office Sports)
QUICK RECAP
Lawrence Hurley joins NBC News as a Supreme Court reporter. (Talking Biz News)
Stephania Bell re-signs a multi-year contract with ESPN as a senior writer and injury analyst. (ESPN Press Room)
David P. Gelles moves from CNN to NBC News’ Meet The Press to assume the executive producer role. (Deadline)
Former CNN/HLN anchor Michaela Pereira departs KTTV in Los Angeles. (TVSpy)
Terry McAulay will serve as rules analyst on Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football. (Awful Announcing)
HBO Max’s Nikki Reed, VP of Kids and Family Scripted Originals, has been laid off. (Deadline)
Aqib Talib removes himself from Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football after the deadly brawl incident. (Awful Announcing)
Reason 1: Why is HBO Max pulling some of its films and TV series from its streaming platform? (Variety)
Reason 2: Why is HBO Max pulling some of its films and TV series from its streaming platform? (CNN Business)
Reason 3: Why is HBO Max pulling some of its films and TV series from its streaming platform? (Los Angeles Times)
Reason 4: Why is HBO Max pulling some of its films and TV series from its streaming platform? (CNBC)
Who’s left to keep tabs on the media after Brian Stelter’s departure? (Variety)
Sports streaming is starting to take shape. (Axios)
New ESPN on ABC animation debuted during the Little League World Series Championship on Sunday. (ESPN Front Row and Awful Announcing)
HBO Max lays off staff in Europe. (Deadline)
ABC Audio announces special Labor Day weekend programming. (ABC News Public Relations)
Fox Nation is using movies to lure women viewers. (MediaPost)
Freevee and Amazon Prime Video’s unscripted units are merged into one. (Variety)
CNN’s Reliable Sources was the network’s most-watched show on its final Sunday airing. (Variety)
CNN’s original series The Murdochs will now air on September 25. (CNN Press Room)
Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football to air in bars and restaurants courtesy of DirecTV. (Axios)
House of the Dragon scores the largest premiere across HBO/HBO Max. (Variety)
Former Fox News politics editor, Chris Stirewalter, says the network is responsible for stoking paranoia and hatred. (The Guardian)
Premier League matches on Peacock could stream in 4K by 2023. (World Soccer Talk)
ABC News and NBC News now have afternoon news shows to compete with streaming rivals. (Variety)
HBO Max crashed for thousands of users during the debut of House of the Dragon. (Wall Street Journal)
CNN Originals hub debut on Discovery Plus. (MediaPost)
Analysis: Cable news has had a more polarizing effect in America than social media. (NiemanLab)
Thanks for reading the Coverage Notes Newsletter. We will be back on September 11.
Subscribe & share. Let us know what you think here - love it or hate it; we'll learn to deal with it and make it better.
A MarkHenry Media LLC publication - Issue #98 - 2022