January 1, CNN’s Ratings Plummet 61% — Is the Network on the Brink of Collapse?

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY…
1976: Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs found Apple Computer in the garage of Jobs’s parents house in Cupertino, California.

CNN’s primetime ratings have fallen a staggering 61% last month, marking a sharp decline in viewership compared to its competitors, according to the latest Nielsen figures. This is a concerning sign for the news network, which has been struggling to recover since Chris Licht was appointed to turn things around more than a year ago.

Despite the dismal ratings, Licht has the backing of his boss, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who has urged network managers to steer clear of politically oriented commentary and partisanship. “Ratings be damned,” he said. “Let’s focus on who we are. This is our mission. This is our legacy. And this is our journey together.”

It’s important to note that viewership for all cable networks is down due to the trend of cord-cutting, where subscribers opt for cheaper streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Additionally, CNN and other cable networks are hindered by a relatively slow news cycle, which explains why they’ve struggled to replicate the same audience interest from a year ago when Russia invaded Ukraine.

CNN’s spokesperson responded to the ratings dip by stating that the impact of the network’s journalism and the reach of its brand cannot be measured by a single metric. However, the reality is that CNN’s ratings have taken a major hit, especially among the key 25-54 age demographic that advertisers covet.

Licht is reportedly trying to shake up primetime by adding blockbuster names like CBS morning star Gayle King and basketball loudmouth Charles Barkley. Meanwhile, CNN is set to debut “CNN News Central,” its mid-day news offering that is designed to replicate the feel of election night, with John Berman, Kate Bolduan, and Sara Sidner hosting the first three-hour block from the studios in New York City.

However, some argue that CNN’s declining viewership is due to its biased reporting and lack of credibility. CNN’s focus on a liberal agenda has turned off viewers who want unbiased news reporting. The network’s failure to present news in a balanced and objective manner has been detrimental to its viewership numbers. The fact that CNN’s ratings have fallen the steepest among the big three cable news giants is a testament to the network’s lack of appeal to the American people.

While cord-cutting is a broader trend affecting the media industry, CNN’s partisan approach has exacerbated the problem. By catering to a liberal audience, CNN has alienated a large segment of the American population, resulting in declining ratings.

Fox News remains the most-watched cable news channel in the country, with MSNBC coming in second. CNN is trailing far behind.

CNN’s solution to its declining viewership, adding blockbuster names such as Gayle King and Charles Barkley, is unlikely to solve the network’s fundamental problem. Viewers want unbiased news reporting, not celebrity endorsements. CNN needs to focus on presenting news in a balanced and objective manner if it wants to regain the trust of the American people.

It remains to be seen whether CNN’s new mid-day news offering and shake-up of primetime will help turn things around for the network. The decline in ratings is a bad omen for the network, which has been criticized for its biased reporting and leftist agenda.

As viewers continue to turn away from CNN and other mainstream media outlets, it is becoming increasingly clear that the network’s days as a major player in the news industry may be numbered.

Source: New York Post