"NUKE CNN" bump!
Posted on 03/25/2003 7:34:50 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
CNN has told Connie Chung, one of the its most prominent hosts, that it has dropped her prime-time show, effective immediately. Although CNN asked her to stay in some other capacity, she declined and will leave the network, an associate of Chung said Tuesday night. Chung, a longtime news anchor who worked for the three major broadcast network news departments before joining CNN last summer, was informed of the decision by Jim Walton, the new president of CNN, the associate said Tuesday. The show, "Connie Chung Tonight," which is usually broadcast at 8 on weeknights, had been suspended for coverage of the war with Iraq. Chung pressed CNN's management last Friday to put the program back on as soon as possible. CNN, a unit of AOL Time Warner, responded by telling her that it would decide over the weekend when it would bring the show back. Instead, its management called her in Tuesday to tell her the program will not resume when the war coverage ends. Chung has a contract, worth about $2 million a year, that has more than a year left. It promised her a prime-time program, Chung's associate said. "She was very shocked and extremely disappointed," the associate said. "She did the show she was asked to do even though she argued that she wanted to do a different kind of show. But the management changed and the new management said, 'We don't want that kind of show.' She was not given a chance to do something different for them." Walton became CNN's chief executive in January, succeeding Walter Isaacson, who had brought Chung to the network. CNN has since been seeking to revamp its image, looking to refashion itself as a harder-edged news network. This month, it dropped a daytime talk program, "Talk Back Live," saying it no longer fit with the network's new plans. Chung's program, which was built around interviews with personalities who sometimes were involved in less-than-serious events, like contestants from "American Idol," was criticized in some quarters of the network for being out of step with the new approach. The associate of Chung defended the show, saying that "when she was hired they said they didn't have a newsmagazine-type program and wanted her to do one. She said she didn't want to do that kind of show. She wanted to do a news show. But this is what they wanted." Most memorably, Chung was mentioned by Ted Turner, the CNN founder, who said in an interview that her show was "just awful." Coincidentally, in an interview only a few days ago, Turner said he regretted making those comments. The ratings for Chung's program were among the strongest on CNN and would not seem to mark it as a target for cancellation. Chung was watched by about a million viewers nightly, second only to Larry King's program on CNN, and it had grown stronger in recent months, sometimes beating King's show. The show was up more than 50 percent over the program CNN had in the same time slot last year. Throughout her career, Chung has consistently been among the most popular figures in TV news. CNN executives declined to comment directly on the decision to drop Chung's show. But one CNN executive said the move was not related to ratings. No decision has been made about a program that will succeed Chung's, the executive added. The associate of Chung said she would look for other opportunities at other networks. "Connie was hired by the old CNN crowd," the associate said. "There's a new crowd at CNN now, and they don't want people associated with the old crowd."
"NUKE CNN" bump!
Just between you and me, Connie, is Ted Turner really a bitch?
I LOVED that show. I have a tape of all of the America 2nite series.
Connie Chung show cancelled... Veteran anchor to leave CNN From the AJC--
"Though Chung attracts more viewers than many of CNN's shows, she has continued to be roundly beaten in the ratings war by Fox News powerhouse Bill O'Reilly." BwwwaaaaHAHAHAHAH!!!
"No, Bones, why do they?" "It keeps the flies off the reporters from CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC!"
Bada Bing!
"Jim, CNN just fired Connie Chung."
"Why, Bones?"
"They ran out of bear manure!"
Want a break from war news? Go to Stark Trek for a laugh or two. Then come back refreshed and loaded for bear whether he goes in the woods or not!
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