All articles tagged with #cable news
In the first week of June, MS NOW was the only cable-news network to gain in both total viewers and the 25-54 demo in primetime and daytime, while Fox News remained the overall leader. CNN also rose in total viewers and the demo in primetime, with The Five leading the Top 15 at 5pm and Rachel Maddow’s show the sole non-Fox entry in the Top 15 at 9pm.
Ted Turner, the mercurial media magnate who built CNN and a cable-television empire anchored by TBS, died at his home near Tallahassee at age 87. His expansive legacy spanned conservation, philanthropy and professional sports, and his bravado earned him the nickname “Mouth of the South.” Turner’s influence helped redefine 24‑hour news and cable networks, and he disclosed in 2018 that he had Lewy body dementia.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who lost his House seat amid allegations of sex trafficking minors, has secured a prime-time show on One America News (OAN), a far-right network known for its pro-Trump stance and controversial content. Despite being dropped by major cable carriers, OAN continues to focus on streaming and digital platforms. Gaetz's show, "The Matt Gaetz Show," will air weeknights at 9 PM Eastern, competing with Fox News' Sean Hannity. The move raises questions about Gaetz's past allegations and the network's credibility.
Elon Musk has been hinting at buying MSNBC, but the channel is not for sale. Comcast, which owns MSNBC, plans to spin off its cable networks into a new company, SpinCo, but existing shareholders will retain ownership. The structure of the spinoff and the centralized control by the Roberts family make it unlikely for Musk to acquire MSNBC. Musk's interest in MSNBC may be fueled by his criticism of the channel and personal issues with Microsoft and Bill Gates. However, acquiring MSNBC would be complex and expensive, similar to his acquisition of Twitter.
CNN's talk show "King Charles," hosted by Gayle King and Charles Barkley, has come to an end after struggling to gain traction in the cable news ratings race. The show, which featured commentary and interviews on various topics, was described as a limited series and failed to secure a significant audience. CNN confirmed the show's conclusion, noting its contribution to the network's lineup, while King continues as co-host of "CBS Mornings" and Barkley remains a prominent basketball analyst for TNT.
Cable news channels CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News covered President Biden and former President Trump's visits to the U.S.-Mexican border, with Fox News dedicating most of its afternoon programming to the topic and dismissing Biden's visit as a cynical photo op. CNN and MSNBC played up the "Border Battle Up Close" angle, with CNN airing both men's remarks in full and MSNBC not carrying either live. The differing programming choices reflect the different lenses through which voters may experience news coverage of the campaign.
Mehdi Hasan announced his departure from MSNBC during his final prime-time broadcast, following the network's decision to cancel his show due to low ratings and a larger shakeup. Hasan, known for his combative interviewing style, expressed pride in his show's achievements and thanked viewers for their support, stating that he is leaving to seek new challenges in the new year. His departure comes after criticism of his commentary on the Israel-Hamas conflict and marks the expansion of Ayman Mohyeldin's show on the network.
CNN is set to launch a new weekly one-hour talk show called "King Charles" on November 29, co-anchored by Gayle King and Charles Barkley. The show aims to have freewheeling conversations about the biggest news stories and cultural moments. CNN is experimenting with new programming concepts as cable-news audiences shift towards on-demand streaming, and advertisers become more cautious about sponsoring opinionated hosts. "King Charles" is viewed as a limited-run series, but if successful, CNN may consider more shows like it in the future.
The recent turmoil at CNN raises questions about whether an unaligned independent approach to news can work in today's polarized media landscape. CNN's new leadership under David Zaslav wants to move the network away from left-leaning "advocacy" and towards more "balance," but the definition of balance is unclear. Chris Licht's short tenure as CNN leader attempted to play it straight, but his mission was in large part doomed by the particular shape of his assignment, his own missteps, and an apparently incomplete understanding of the network as it existed before his arrival.
CNN has named Kaitlan Collins, a rising star at the network, as the anchor of a new weeknight show at 9 p.m. starting in June. Collins, who previously covered the Trump and Biden administrations, impressed executives with her interviewing and reporting skills during a weeklong stint as temporary host of CNN's 9 p.m. hour in April. Her promotion is a major bet by CNN leadership on a relatively untested solo anchor and a bid to revive the network's sagging ratings in a coveted time slot.
MSNBC's "All In With Chris Hayes" beat Fox News Tonight and CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 in the 8 p.m. ET time slot on Wednesday night, following the departure of Tucker Carlson. Hayes' show drew 1.38 million viewers and 167,000 in the 25-54 demo. Fox News Tonight, which features a rotating series of hosts until a permanent successor is named, had 1.33 million viewers. Fox News still topped primetime in total viewers, drawing 1.49 million. Carlson released a video on Wednesday, his first statement since exiting the network.
MSNBC beat Fox News in the key 25-54 age demographic in prime time on Monday, hours after Fox announced the departure of Tucker Carlson from the network. Brian Kilmeade stepped in for Carlson to host Fox News Tonight during Carlson’s old 8 p.m. time slot and won the hour in both total viewers and demo. In the demo during prime time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), MSNBC eked out a ratings win, topping Fox News, 247,000 to 245,000 viewers. Fox still led in overall viewers.
Tucker Carlson's show "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Fox News will be replaced with a new program called "Fox News Tonight," featuring rotating Fox News personalities until a new host is named. Carlson's last show was on Friday, and he appeared to not know it was his finale. The show had been the most-watched in prime-time cable news, averaging 3.25 million viewers in the first quarter of this year.
Fox News has cut ties with its top-rated prime-time host Tucker Carlson, less than a week after the network settled a defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems. Carlson's private messages were among hundreds of internal communications made public in the course of the lawsuit that caused angst and embarrassment for Fox. Carlson's comments about Fox management, as revealed in the Dominion case, played a role in his departure from Fox. Fox said that the 8 p.m. time slot, which Carlson has held since April 2017, will be filled on an interim basis by "rotating Fox News personalities until a new host is named."
Cable news networks CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC provided live coverage of former President Donald Trump leaving his Mar-a-Lago resort and boarding a Trump-branded plane en route to New York City, where he will report for arraignment on undisclosed charges handed down by a New York grand jury. The coverage was compared to the live TV coverage of O.J. Simpson traveling in the back seat of a white Ford Bronco in 1994. Trump's six-minute trip to the airport in a motorcade of black SUVs was uneventful, and his supporters were not present in large numbers. All three networks covered Trump's plane landing in New York around 3:30 p.m. Eastern.