The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / CNN making big layoffs that include big name stars

**Posted by Muffaraw Joe** November 12, 2024 9:57 pm

CEO Mark Thompson announced the layoffs that will be happening in the next few months.

Ratings have fallen to 90,000 viewers in the key demo.

Chris Wallace is leaving, Anderson Cooper and Erin Burnett are not guaranteed jobs either. Blitzer and Tapper will not be getting pay increases and more cuts are to come.

The trend is watching podcasters instead. Viva Frei, Dave Rubin, Timcast, Joe Roganm, Megyn Kelly, "X" and Fox News are eating CNN's lunch.

The election coverage hurt CNN and MSNBC.

Here is more,

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14073063/CNN-layoffs-election-ratings-firings.html

**Posted by RadioAaron** November 12, 2024 10:21 pm

Muffaraw Joe wrote:
The election coverage hurt CNN and MSNBC.

No.

**Posted by paterson1** November 13, 2024 12:00 am

CNN is in a tough position. They obviously need to make some big changes, and cutting some of their "stars" like Anderson, Wolf and reporters may need happen. Nothing against Anderson Cooper but $20 million per year? Oh, in 2016 CNN had a prime time average of 1.3 million viewers and not 13 million as stated in the article. Also in 2016 they were not the number one news network, that would have been FOX NN.

CNN is the only US cable news network I watch and overall I don't mind them. I have subscribed over the past couple of years to FOX and MSNBC a few times. Didn't like either. FOX is too yappy, arrogant, mean spirited, smart assed, and too one sided for my liking, oh and they lie. More lawsuits are in the hopper!

MSNBC I found kind of boring, whiney with forgettable hosts and poor programming other than a few shows like Morning Joe which was ok. Their weekend programming was weak in my opinion, with not a lot of interest to me at least.

It would be nice if all of them cut back on the never ending panel shoutfests and focused more on real discussions, news, even a talk show. However, these networks are geared for a US viewer, and if this is what sells and the public wants, so be it.

Last edited by paterson1 (November 13, 2024 12:02 am)

**Posted by Shorty Wave** November 13, 2024 9:12 am

CNN just had a couple of rounds of layoffs in the past few years, a friend of mine had nearly his whole department let go. 90,000 viewers is not good but I don’t see them being able to increase that, we get our news differently these days and traditional TV is a dying entity unfortunately.

**Posted by Binson Echorec** November 13, 2024 9:40 am

I don't doubt CNN is in trouble but I can't see much of their audience migrating to the right-leaning YouTubers cited in the OP. The abundance of platforms available coupled with an aging audience is the chief concern.

Younger demos do not get their news from traditional television.

Last edited by Binson Echorec (November 13, 2024 12:13 pm)

**Posted by Hansa** November 13, 2024 1:04 pm

It always bothered me that we got CNN US in Canada instead of CNN International, as if we were Americans.

**Posted by Radiowiz** November 13, 2024 1:07 pm

Hansa wrote:
It always bothered me that we got CNN US in Canada instead of CNN International, as if we were Americans.

Yeah, both should be offered.

**Posted by newsguy1** November 13, 2024 2:54 pm

CNN is just getting past it's best before date.
I never cared for Anderson Cooper, ever.
C'mon he's a member of the elitist Vanderbilt family, that's how he got the job.
Now his hair is white, as is most men on CNN, all white or grey, Blitzer Tapper...well Chris Wallace dies his hair.
Most of the women would be grey haired too if not for women being able to get away with hair colouring better than men.
Don't tell me Dana Bash is really strawberry blond.
Yeah, OK I guess I'm obsessing over hair colour, but me point is, their audience isn't going to be younger people.
Fox gets younger people because they will eat up all the right wing stuff
Remember when being a young American meant "sticking it to the man" meant protesting against old right wing guys?
Even years back the legendary comedian Mort Sahl joked about Reagan's young Republicans, saying, "I guess our parents were right when they warned us all the drugs we took would give us children who would turn out to be mutants."

Last edited by newsguy1 (November 13, 2024 2:55 pm)

**Posted by Holliday** November 13, 2024 3:28 pm

Muffaraw Joe wrote:
The trend is watching podcasters instead. Viva Frei, Dave Rubin, Timcast, Joe Roganm, Megyn Kelly, "X" and Fox News are eating CNN's lunch.

You mean this Tim Pool and Dave Rubin?
https://www.euronews.com/2024/09/05/american-right-wing-influencers-duped-to-work-for-covert-russian-influence-operation-us-sa