Posted on 03/23/2005 1:49:55 PM PST by srm913
CNN Has New Strategy to Beat FOX
CNN is using new tactics to overtake Fox News – with the battle plan focused on capturing back some of those lost key minutes in prime time.
Here’s the rub:
The average viewer who tunes in to Fox News’s prime-time lineup - including Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity - watches for an average of 26 minutes before switching channels, according to CNN’s internal research and a report in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
On the other hand, typical viewers tune out CNN’s prime-time hosts - including Aaron Brown, Larry King and Paula Zahn - after just 19 minutes.
That seemingly small gap in average viewing time has become a touchstone for the CNN versus Fox ratings war.
# CNN’s average audience between 7 and 11 p.m. is 775,000.
# Fox’s average audience between 7 and 11 p.m. is two million.
What is particularly painful is that these same Nielsen Media Research figures – as recently as four years ago – had CNN drawing more viewers than Fox News at night.
Jonathan Klein, the new president of CNN, wants to nudge things back to the halcyon days of yore.
Even the seemingly small elements are judged important by Klein, who fusses over such details as the "throw” from Larry King to Aaron Brown each weeknight just before the witching hour of 10 p.m.
King’s grandiose intro to the upcoming Brown news segment is no accident:
"Ladies and gentleman around the world give him your total attention, please,” is a typical fanfare.
The goal: get the more than one million viewers King draws in an average hour to stick around and watch Brown.
Alas, much to Klein’s chagrin, about half of those precious "Larry King Live” viewers are bailing out in just the first few minutes of Brown’s news program:
"We invited viewers to leave repeatedly. We kept giving them no good reason to stay.”
Klein’s goal: to increase the average amount of time viewers spend watching CNN’s prime-time lineup by an average of 30 seconds a month for the next 12 months.
That total gain of just six minutes can have a vital impact - adding more than $10 million to CNN’s annual advertising revenue, which currently rings in at about $440 million.
According to the Journal-Constitution report, Klein, the fifth person to head CNN’s domestic operations in the last four years, is the cable network’s last great hope to stop Fox.
"In an ideal world, there probably would not be this much turnover,” says Jim Walton, president of CNN News Group. "What I can assure you is Jon will be successful in this position, and he’ll be in this position for many years to come.”
Meanwhile, Klein scrambles to fulfill his destiny:
# In January he announced the intended cancellation of "Crossfire,” with its staple shouting matches between the Left and the Right.
# He has honed a personal mantra that the network’s prime-time programs should spend less time reporting the news of the day and more time churning out emotionally gripping, character-driven narratives linked to the news of the day.
# He is encouraging selected reporters to put more of their personalities in their reports.
It remains to be seen if Klein can work the magic denied to his predecessors.
Satellite jamming?
Go ahead. Make my day.
They sound like Kerry: I have a plan!
Better keep that resume handy there, Jon....
Satellite jamming would be a good start for them.
But I would never, ever, ever watch CNN's prime time line-up.
Throw a dump-truck full of money at Ann Coulter, and stick with her when she (as she inevitably will) causes a massive ruckus. Put her up against O'Reilly. I know who I'd watch.
How about reporting the truth?
If these nitwits can't figure out why Fox is so successful, when it is all right there being broadcast to them 24/7, they will always be #2 or #3.
how cute
My mother in law still watches Larry King and CBS News. If thats the only type of viewers that CNN and the MSM can get nowadays I have to laugh....good luck CNN, you will need it.
Juggling trash isn't going to win viewers. Hannity will eat their lunch.
"It remains to be seen if Klein can work the MAGIC denied to his predecessors."
You mean like the "magic" Disney continues to work upon us?
http://www.linda.net/gayday.html
That "smirk" of Aaron Brown and his sarcastic wit are his demise with me. I think they need to replace Brown to compete with Greta. Personally, I switch over to Scarbourough after H&C, I just cannot stomach Aaron Brown.
***Meanwhile, Klein scrambles to fulfill his destiny:
# In January he announced the intended cancellation of "Crossfire,” with its staple shouting matches between the Left and the Right.
# He has honed a personal mantra that the network’s prime-time programs should spend less time reporting the news of the day and more time churning out emotionally gripping, character-driven narratives linked to the news of the day.
# He is encouraging selected reporters to put more of their personalities in their reports.
It remains to be seen if Klein can work the magic denied to his predecessors.
*****
So essentially, their strategy is to COMPLETELY abandon any objectivity. Good work guys!
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