Posted on 04/18/2024 2:47:52 AM PDT by Libloather
CNN’s new boss said the network faces an “existential crisis” because of cord cutting — and that he plans to eventually pivot away from cable TV toward a subscription-based streaming model similar to YouTube and TikTok.
“There are plenty of things we have to fix at CNN,” Mark Thompson, the former New York Times and BBC executive who was hired by Warner Bros. Discovery to dig CNN out of its third-place slump in the cable news race, told Financial Times.
He also hinted that more cost-cutting measures are in the offing, saying that there are “likely to be significant opportunities for de-duplication of parallel organizations and structures and activities.”
“I think we can and should be looking for ways of doing what we do both better, but also doing it less expensively,” Thompson said.
The ex-BBC director general has a tall task — turning around CNN that has struggled to keep up in the ratings with Fox News and MSNBC.
Thompson said he was looking at distributing CNN content through smartphones and other devices in a shift to mostly digital — mimicking his tenure as head of The New York Times Company.
“The idea that there might be digital subscription is a serious possibility,” Thompson told FT when asked about his plans for CNN.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
“There are plenty of things we have to fix at CNN,”
Yea ,start telling the truth and giving factual news reporting. That would get your ratings up. You have spent the last 10 years lying to the public .
I miss Bernie in Baghdad. That was the height of television journalism.
I want to make sure I understand their new business model:
We can’t give it away free so now we’re going to start charging people.
lolz
It’s sort of poetic justice that the company who pioneered 24/7 news coverage, is facing an existential crisis with their future in extreme doubt.
I remember when CNN started, it was sort of like when ESPN started, I wondered how 24/7 news or sports could possibly work.
Both became hugely successful, now both are losing money because they got away from what they pioneered.
I think they see the writing on the wall. To wit: The airline industry is in a freefall. Without their captive airport audience (99.9 percent of their viewers), they are toast.
Bankruptcy on the horizon
I think that is a great idea. Set up your own site and discover just how few are willing to pay for your propaganda.
Will people pay to be lied to?
I guess fixing the obvious isn’t one of their main ideas.
The Chicken Noodle Network needs to make one change. Go to straight news. Get rid of the commentary, but keep the programming for entertainment with shows such as “The 80’s.” It was a great show.
Leftwing commentary being disseminated as news no longer works as more people become desensitized and stop giving a hoot. On the other hand, MSLSD is pure entertainment without either commentary nor news. As long as you look at them as a bad comedy show, it actually becomes funny in a sad kid of way.
Yeah that’ll work just like CNN+ :)
Apart from the $90 a month I was paying for 2 channels that I watched I’m glad i cut the cord because now I’m not subsidizing MSLSD and their ilk.
How about fire all your camera-facing, Woke-infected “personalities”? Why is Wolf Blitzer still on the air, for example?
They have hired the underpants gnomes as business consultants.
Phase 1 collect underpants Phase 2 ? Phase 3 profit
Why not merge CNN with CPB. NPR and PBS are on the same page with the Commie News Network and have lots of money.../s
LoL, I was thinking about that juicy money stream from every monitor in the airports. CNN wants to put everyone in a virtual waiting are and be forcefed CNN “programming”
Those of us that have cut the cord have forgotten the many millions out there are still stuck on cable for whatever reason. CNN has been subsidized by this cabal for as long as we can remember, however it is eroding to such a point the free-market is going to dig their grave. Also it is a good bet that CNN hasn’t invested in much or any streaming either. Can’t see many subscribers for them if they choose this, they are doomed because of their content.
I see a buyout with MSNBC on the horizon if all the other like media/web channels are closing or downsizing and it won’t be long.
They had a streaming service, called CNN+, for a few weeks in April 2022.
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