Thursday, December 26, 2013

CNN Chief Jeff Zucker: News Network 'Had a Really Good Year'



CNN Chief Jeff Zucker: News Network 'Had a Really Good Year'
by William Bigelow 26 Dec 2013, 2:07 PM PDT
Jeff Zucker, CNN Worldwide chief, wrote a memo to his employees insisting that “We have had a really good year.”

It may be a CYA maneuver, but his rose-colored description of CNN’s status is nothing close to reality.

Here’s Zucker in his ivory-tower obliviousness:

In 2013, CNN was recognized with three news Emmys, and two first-time Emmys for Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown, as well as a Peabody Award for our coverage in Syria … And heading into 2014, CNN Films is on the short list for an Academy Award in the Documentary category for Blackfish. In our first year of even having a film division!

Zucker did not mention of course, CNN’s new morning program, or Crossfire, both of which are tanking. And of course, there’s the elephant in the room: CNN is getting killed in the ratings by Fox. Even Mediaite admitted:

Of course, while CNN and MSNBC battled for #2, Fox News maintained its dominance, holding the #1 spot in the 25-54 demo and total viewers for the 12th consecutive year. In total viewers, Fox beat CNN and MSNBC combined. And it appears that Fox’s new prime-time line-up, which launched at the beginning of October, has only improved things for the network … There’s no denying it: When it comes to cable news in America, no one can touch Fox News.

But Zucker, who was responsible for the Jay Leno debacle when he ran NBC, has an agenda to follow, and no amount of hard facts will deter him. Here’s more from the starry-eyed optimist:

Competitively speaking, there is much to be proud of. CNN moved from the third-most-watched cable news network in 2012 to second in 2012.

Mediaite begs to differ as to the importance of CNN’s triumph over MSNBC for also-ran status:

… it’s hard for CNN to spin their numbers into a victory over MSNBC. While it’s true that MSNBC saw the biggest drops in viewership compared to 2012, they still beat CNN where it counts in prime time.

Zucker concluded his memo by writing, “We have had a really good year. And we have so much more to do. That is what excites me the most … I can’t wait to see what 2014 brings us.”

Stockholders in CNN may be more in the mood to wait to see what new outfit the Emperor chooses to don before they get too excited.

CNN Worldwide
Jeff Zucker is the president of CNN Worldwide, and a director at the Robin Hood Foundation.

Note: CNN Worldwide is a division of CNN.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Robin Hood Foundation, the Aspen Institute (think tank), the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), and the Brookings Institution (think tank).
George Soros is the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and a board member for the International Crisis Group.
Walter Isaacson is the president & CEO for the Aspen Institute (think tank), and was the chairman & CEO for CNN.
Ted Turner is the founder of CNN, and a co-chairman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).
Igor S. Ivanov is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), and a board member for the International Crisis Group.
Jessica Tuchman Mathews is a board member for the International Crisis Group, a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).
Ed Griffin’s interview with Norman Dodd in 1982
(The investigation into the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace uncovered the plans for population control by involving the United States in war)







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