On Wed, Feb 18, 2015 at 7:51 AM, Bob Jersey <[email protected]> wrote:
> To TheWrap > <http://www.thewrap.com/cnn-president-jeff-zucker-fires-back-at-critics-original-series-news-makeover/> > (link)... > > "[W]hat’s actually increased at CNN is the length of tune-in of our > viewers, meaning that those viewers are actually watching for a longer > length of time each time they come." > > "I hope I’ve encouraged an atmosphere were they [anchors] know that > [expressing their own viewpoints in public] is OK, and we’re comfortable > with it." > > "We are basically doing live news 22 out of 24 hours a day. Everyone said > we were getting out of news. We doubled-down on news." > > "I think we’ve been willing to broaden out what we define as news, and I > think that’s allowed us to do series like Weir, Spurlock, Bourdain and Lisa > Ling. And I think that’s really helped." > Jeff Zucker is an asshole (I am still contractually obligated to mention that in every post I make about him to this list). I think Bob's bullet points are at the same time unfair and too generous to Zuck. He is not just bullshitting - he has the numbers to support that things have improved for CNN (e.gg **CNN up 51 percent, Fox News up 5 percent in all-important primetime news demo while MSNBC is down 45 percent for 2015)* * But, he is also bullshitting - a lot. He has doubled-down on news by redefining almost anything that is not a scripted sitcom or drama news. He has increased the amount of time viewers tune in by hyping to death high drama stories out of proportion, and with no real information or context to report. He is increasing identification with news anchors by encouraging them (well, to use Zuck's terms, by letting them know that they are welcome to) make themselves part of the stories they cover - Lemon being the ultimate, but not only, example. For many years the main good thing to be said about CNN is that they are not as bad as Fox and MSNBC, and that is still, but less, true.* -- -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
