CNN experienced a tumultuous year, marked by the departure of experienced hosts and alterations in both management and programming, which unfortunately did not succeed in regaining the trust of its former viewers.
“CNN once prided itself as the ‘most trusted name in news’ that was the go-to network for breaking news occurring around the world. But in 2023, it was best known for the utter chaos that unfolded both onscreen and behind the scenes,” Fox News, CNN’s chief rival and cable news leader, reported Friday.
In 2021, CNN experienced a series of humiliating scandals, which were subsequently accompanied by alterations in ownership and management. These events significantly impacted morale, leaving it in a state of decline in the subsequent year.
“And 2023 proved to be another disastrous year for CNN, as controversial comments made by one of its biggest stars, yet another regime change, and a ratings free fall have all made headlines,” Fox News pointed out.
For instance, Don Lemon’s extensive tenure as the host of a prime-time evening show came to an end when he was reassigned to co-host a revamped morning program, which unfortunately did not gain much traction. Eventually, Lemon was completely removed from his position following his controversial comments about the age of GOP presidential candidate and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley. Having dedicated 17 years to the network, Lemon was known for his strong left-wing perspective.
“In 2022, David Zaslav, the chief of CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, tapped Chris Licht to lead the network following his anti-Trump predecessor Jeff Zucker, who was ousted amid scandal,” Fox News noted. “Zaslav saw potential in Licht who, despite having never run a news organization, was the executive producer who launched MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe,’ successfully revamped ‘CBS This Morning’ and helped champion ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ in the late-night ratings war.”
Licht’s primary objective, aside from reversing the decline in the network’s viewership, was to eliminate the perceived liberal bias that CNN had acquired under Zucker’s leadership. Zucker had molded the network into a left-leaning entity that frequently criticized former President Trump and other Republicans.
In pursuit of this objective, Licht encountered difficulties in gaining the trust of CNN’s staff, many of whom were doubtful about the existence of any political bias within their network, as reported by Fox News.
Licht’s efforts to make changes in programming proved to be ineffective, mainly consisting of rearranging time slots for hosts and promoting correspondents without significant support from viewers. Reports emphasized Licht’s less hands-on approach to leadership compared to Zucker, who maintained close relationships with network talent and exerted substantial editorial control.
Fox added that CNN’s popularity has consistently remained awful:
Through December 12, CNN managed only 482,000 average total day viewers compared to 1.2 million for Fox News. During primetime, CNN averaged only 586,000 primetime viewers to finish No. 12 among cable networks, with a smaller audience than networks such as TLC, Hallmark and HGTV.
CNN’s most-watched program in 2023 was “Anderson Cooper 360,” which finished No. 29 among cable news options. Despite being CNN’s most popular show, “AC 360” managed only 743,000 total viewers to finish behind 14 Fox News programs and 14 MSNBC shows.”
Nevertheless, the network was able to attract a portion of viewers compared to the previous year, as stated in a report released in early November.
“Fox News again topped all the cable news networks in October, but only CNN and MSNBC gained viewers versus last year, as Israel-Gaza coverage and the House Speaker upheaval dominated the news cycle,” Deadline reported.
The outlet noted further: “In primetime, Fox News averaged 2.12 million viewers, down 7% from October 2022. MSNBC drew 1.33 million, up 12%, and CNN posted 722,000, an increase of 16%. In the 25-54 demo, Fox News averaged 256,000, off by 13%, while CNN averaged 167,000, up 25%, and MSNBC posted 132,000, up 16%.”
The outlet added: “In total, Fox News averaged 1.36 million, down 8%, followed by MSNBC with 895,000, up 19%, and CNN with 600,000, an increase of 12%. In the adults 25-54 demo, Fox News averaged 174,000, down 15%, while CNN posted 124,000, up 17%, and MSNBC was at 98,000, up 23%.”