CNN’s ratings are stuck in a downward spiral.
It’s getting to desperation time.
And you won’t believe what CNN wants to hire Charles Barkley to do.
CNN network President Chris Licht is in crisis mode.
The network saw its lowest ratings in nine years in 2022.
Licht’s big idea to revamp the network’s AM programming — moving Don Lemon to be the centerpiece of “CNN This Morning” — bellyflopped as the Lemon-centric show drew lower ratings than the program it replaced.
“But CNN This Morning’s audience since its debut on Nov. 1 have averaged about 400,000 viewers, compared to the 412,000 viewers that its predecessor, New Day, averaged during 2022, according to Nielsen figures. CNN This Morning trails Fox News’ Fox and Friends, averaging 1.33 million, and Morning Joe, posting 905,000. In the 25-54 demo, Fox and Friends averaged 192,000, compared to 104,000 for Morning Joe and 83,000 for CNN This Morning,” Deadline reports.
Moving Lemon out of primetime left a gaping hole in the network’s schedule.
Licht’s first attempt at a revamped primetime lineup failed as viewers tuned out of left-wing activist Jake Tapper’s show.
Now Licht is looking to hire pop culture figures, sports celebrities and general interest hosts to turn CNN in primetime to be more like a TV network schedule where shows air on a specific night of the week.
And Licht’s big idea is to bring in NBA Hall of Famer and co-host of TNT’s “Inside the NBA” Charles Barkley to CNN’s primetime lineup.
“The show would see the 11-time NBA All-Star, Hall of Famer, and current mega-popular TNT Inside the NBA analyst interviewing newsmakers, journalists, and other guests about various topics of the day. The conceit is that a genuine, outspoken, often humorous figure like Barkley might be a bigger draw than the traditional self-serious newsman, and might be better suited to ask guests the kinds of questions that average Americans actually care about,” Puck’s Dylan Byers reports.
“Inside the NBA” is the most iconic sports studio show in history.
And Barkley serves as the centerpiece with his willingness to say absolutely anything at any time and his trademark catchphrases like “knucklehead” and “turrible.”
The same parent company that owns CNN — Warner Brothers Discovery — also owns TNT which makes this an easy move for CNN.
“It could also make economic sense. The Barkley deal would allow Sir Charles to continue his role with TNT, just as the offer to King allows her to continue anchoring CBS Mornings. In Barkley, Licht would be sharing talent with another arm of the Warner Bros. Discovery television universe, a factor that may make the overall deal less burdensome on his P&L. Indeed, it’s quite conceivable that David Zaslav encouraged Licht to go looking for in-house talent, and that more WBD talent cross-pollinations like this could also be in the pipeline,” Byers reports.
Americans are tired of CNN’s left-wing bias and anti-Republican fake news.
Charles Barkley used to identify as a Republican due to his support for low taxes and often mused about running for governor of Alabama as a Republican.
But starting in the Obama era Barkley switched to become a loyal Democrat.
It’s unclear how putting Barkley in primetime to do another liberal-oriented talk show would restore CNN’s tattered reputation.
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