CNN Fires U.S. Chief Jon Klein

[Dulcinea]

Source: NPR

CNN President Jonathan Klein, who tried and failed to keep the network ahead of its competitors in the ratings, lost his job Friday.

Klein has been replaced by Ken Jautz, who currently runs HLN, said Jim Walton, CNN Worldwide's president. CNN is also seeking another executive who will serve as executive vice president and managing editor of CNN Worldwide.

CNN has been in a ratings free fall. Its prime-time viewership is at a 10-year low, and it has lost almost half its audience since last year. Fox and MSNBC are also losing audiences, but not nearly as badly.

Cable news viewers have increasingly become interested in hearing news filtered through strong, partisan viewpoints, but Klein tried to steer a course down the middle, with an emphasis on hard news and shows like The Situation Room.


Read more: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130099979

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Why not just pump out CNN International to the domestic audience? It's so much better than the domestic channel!

[annabanana]

1. Maybe they'd consider kicking out the right wing shills that

populate the producer's room during weekend daytime programming. . .

The selective editing of Stephen Colbert's subcommittee testimony is jaw-dropping...

[SpiralHawk]

5. Capital idea. People are sick of the republicon shills

They get it everywhere -- so CNN just operates as part of the pack (R) -- and consequently has no honor, no cred.

Ptooooey on the right wing propaganda (R).
That stinky shit (R) is sooooo old.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. And the crazy thing is that the Fox channel has the most young,

titillating shows.

The world makes no sense. Hasn't for a while.

[TheFarseer]

2. weird dynamic at work here

People seem to want passion in their news, whether it's right or left or whatever. CNN just tells you the news (most of it's programming) which is probably what's good for the people, but not what they want. Are we just destined to have biases news? I'm not sure how you can have passion without a bias right or left, but maybe it's possible.

[bherrera]

6. CNN does have bias

For example, in 2003, CNN helped US president Bush lie to the American people about the Iraq WMD (which people with common sense knew was a big lie). In 1999, CNN helped President Clinton lie about the Kosovo genocide, which people with common sense knew was a lie. I can cite other examples.

[TheFarseer]

8. you're talking about a bias for believing the gov't

and not a right / left or some sort of philosophy bias. A bias for believing the government is never going to turn anyone on.

[molly77]

10. CNN turned into a FOX wannabe

Their ratings were high when they were just reporting the news , as you say.

During the 2008 elections Wolf Blitzer asked John King if he had heard anything re. election theft. King hadn't. He just replied "no".

Kinda' like the white house press "corpse" having a male hooker in the room for two years (with no journalism credentials) and never knowing it. Never noticing Jeff Gannon had sleep overs at the WH.

In an age with the highest rate of journalist murders, I am sure they can only see so much and continuing working and living.

[JackRiddler]

3. Good joke.

"Klein tried to steer a course down the middle, with an emphasis on hard news and shows like The Situation Room."

LOL!

[icnorth]

4. Oh he steered a course down the middle

all right; straight through the middle of the republican echo chamber.

[TheFarseer]

7. you realize that Republicans say

CNN is the mouthpiece of the Democratic Party? I think if you're pissing off both sides, you've probably got it just about right.

[madokie]

9. I've pretty much quit watching any of them

msnbc too. the daily show gets my viewing when I make it that late in the day still awake or when I remember to check their website out

edit: change quite to quit

[onager]

11. At work last week...

I work for one of the biggest aerospace/defense contractors in the world. Our branch is located in suburban Los Angeles.

In the entrance lobby of our building, a large-screen TV is mounted right above the head of the security guard.

Currently, our day-shift security guard is a pleasant twentysomething young woman.

She often tunes in to The History Channel or CNN. A couple of times I noticed that Faux News was on - I'm assuming it was a leftover from the night-shift security guards.

Then I noticed Faux News was never on. Walking by the guard one day, I made a comment about that. Something like - "No more Fox News? Good!"

She surprised me by saying she got a LOT of complaints whenever Faux was on. Many of them in the nature of "pure Republican propaganda." So for news, she made an Executive Decision to always leave the TV on CNN.

Oh, and she said: "Some people complain about CNN, too. But not nearly as many."

:rofl:

[seabeckind]

12. I haven't watched HLN in years

It's worse than the regular CNN. Their morning with that Robin person (is she still on) or the evening with that cops/court tv wannabee is ridiculous.

And no, I do not want my news filtered through some "personality". I want the news. Oh, and a police chase on the other side of the country is NOT national news.

The situation room is a joke. Nothing but a bunch of right wing and "centrist?" viewpoints.

So now we have 372 bills held up in the Senate? Good thing I heard it mentioned yesterday during an interview on Keith. Then again they might have talked about it for hours on CNN -- but I doubt it.

Meanwhile as I watch MSNBC when their not doing their weekend convict magazine they're spending a big segment on Lohan. Oh well.

[lunatica]

14. I watch Olbermann and Maddow daily and come Monday I'll watch O'Donnell too

I like and respect all three of them. If I feel like some snark Olbermann is good. If I want depth that may last for days Maddow is great. Because of her I know about C Street and it's nefarious connections to very bad things. I suspect O'Donnell will have his own style and that it'll be just as good. I've seen him on other shows and he can be very confrontational when some pundit is out and out lying.

[tularetom]

15. I don't understand why they fired him - he tried

Tried to make CNN as much like fox as he possibly could.

Too bad he did such a shitty job.

But I have to ask - if you're going to get biased commentary and vapid insights on the news, who would you rather get it from - Candy Crowley or the blond infobabes on Fox complete with lots of boobage and leggage?

CNN is just Fox with uglier people.

[annabanana]

17. no. . CNN is just Fox with it's pants on.. . . . . n/t

[Doremus]

18. Good one!

[annabanana]

16. I'm surprised this item was sent to a media dungeon. . (?) . .n/t

[tech9413]

19. I agree Mabey if they did more in-depth news people would

watch. At least people with brains who are hungry for information.