Posted on 05/18/2010 8:57:57 PM PDT by My Favorite Headache
CNN's Campbell Brown has resigned. The following are statements from both CNN President Jon Klein and a heartfelt letter from Brown explaining her reasons for leaving.
STATEMENT FROM JON KLEIN, PRESIDENT OF CNN/U.S. "Today is about Campbell. We want to wish her well as she begins the next phase of her life. We respect her decision to leave. We will announce our programming plans in the coming weeks."
An Excerpt From Brown's Statement "Simply put, the ratings for my program are not where I would like them to be. It is largely for this reason that I am stepping down as anchor of CNN's "Campbell Brown". ...The simple fact is that not enough people want to watch my program, and I owe it to myself and to CNN to get out of the way so that CNN can try something else."
(Read Brown's letter after the jump...it's well worth the read.)
Mediaite first reported the news of Brown being let out of her contract. Read the story here.
Meanwhile, the Washington Examiner is reporting that former N.Y. Gov. Eliot Spitzer may be getting his own show -- it's Brown's slot on CNN.
Read TVNewser's analysis of Brown's time at CNN and subsequent departure here.
MSNBC, the network on which Spitzer occasionally substitutes as host, had no comment.
Read the scoop on Spitzer here.
> Update: The Washington Examiner, while declaring a posssible Spitzer replacement, has Spitzer himself denying the move to CNN to replace Brown. Other journos around town join bandwagon to point out the discrepancy in the story.
Campbell Brown Statement:
I knew on the day that I accepted my job at CNN that a ratings victory at 8pm was going to be a formidable challenge. As I have been told over and over, this is the toughest time slot in cable news. That is obviously due to the incredible talents of my 8pm competitors. I have also always marveled whenever a television anchor says that he or she pays no attention to ratings. I'm pretty sure the last time any anchor could honestly ignore ratings was well before I was born. Of course I pay attention to ratings. And simply put, the ratings for my program are not where I would like them to be. It is largely for this reason that I am stepping down as anchor of CNN's "Campbell Brown".
To be clear: this is my decision, and one that I have been thinking about for some time. As for why, I could have said, that I am stepping down to spend more time with my children (which I truly want to do). Or that I am leaving to pursue other opportunities (which I also truly want to do). But I have never had much tolerance for others' spin, so I can't imagine trying to stomach my own. The simple fact is that not enough people want to watch my program, and I owe it to myself and to CNN to get out of the way so that CNN can try something else.
CNN will have to figure out what that is. The 8pm hour in cable news world is currently driven by the indomitable Bill O'Reilly, Nancy Grace and Keith Olbermann. Shedding my own journalistic skin to try to inhabit the kind of persona that might co-exist in that line up is simply impossible for me. It is not who I am or who I want to be; nor is it who CNN asked me to be at any point. This is the right decision for me and I hope it will be a great opportunity for CNN.
Since its launch three decades ago CNN has strived to be an independent, credible and enduring source of news. While the rest of the cable news world moved to opinion, CNN allowed me to stay true to my hard-news roots and supported me with a true commitment to old-school journalism. There is plenty of debate now about whether real journalism even has a place in prime time. I may be taking myself out of that debate on a nightly basis, but I am truly proud of the work we have done on this program and I do still believe that journalism has an essential place in prime time and at all times. I am also especially proud of the people who put this show on the air every night. They are an amazing, dedicated, loyal and caring team. To them, I will be forever grateful.
My plan right now is to help CNN through any transition, and then to enjoy, for the very first time, the nightly ritual of "Good Night Moon" and good night kisses with my two little boys. I wish my CNN colleagues all the best. And as long as bedtime doesn't conflict with prime time, I will be watching and pulling for them.
Campbell Brown
You’d think that with no bra there’d have been more viewers.
“Brown’s own father was a corrupt jailed Democrat pol in Florida”
Are you sure about that? How did I miss it?
Explains a lot- Senor was and is an idiot.
caught himself a looker, guess that’s all he was after.
I have to admit that I enjoy watching NBC’s Today Show on Sundays before Meet the Press comes on. They have 2 anchors that don’t have a single partisan bone in their bodies and they make the show fun to watch, Lester Holt and Jenna Wolfe (a cutie).
Photo: Lester Holt & Jenna Wolfe
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc181/anchorbabes/jun2008/jennawolfe1.jpg
William Jefferson (D-Louisiana).
Knowing CNN, it wouldn't shock me.
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