Over the past year, CNN has seen some major changes. Chris Licht, the new CEO of the company, continues working to restore CNN’s reputation. Today, many Americans regard CNN as a far-left, biased network that does not even come close to objectively reporting the news.
Licht came on after CNN repeatedly suffered rating losses following former President Trump’s departure from the White House last January. Thus far, CNN’s new boss let go of some staffers and moved others to different network slots.
Yet, CNN still has serious issues with its ratings. This is more than apparent with a recent setback for news host Jake Tapper.
Tapper’s Primetime Slot Bombs
During the first half of last month, Tapper was moved to CNN’s 9 p.m. primetime slot. Yet, this did not pan out so well. Tapper pulled in fewer and fewer viewers on a weekly basis.
Since primetime did not bring in the necessary ratings for Tapper, he will be back to the 4 p.m. through 6 p.m. slot after next week’s midterm elections are over.
News: Jake Tapper will return to his 4 p.m. slot after the midterms, leaving CNN primetime open yet again, a spokesperson confirms.
The Tapper experiment didn't work. His ratings declined every week; on Monday he drew less than 450,000 viewers *total.*
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) November 2, 2022
Before Tapper’s poor ratings, CNN intended for him to permanently host primetime. Thus far, it remains to be seen who will end up taking the primetime slot.
Bigger Problems For CNN
If there is one thing Tapper’s primetime failure proves, it is that CNN has a long way to go before it can fully rebrand. After years of being overtly biased against conservatives, this will not instantly change just because a new CEO is on board.
Nevertheless, Licht appears to be in this for the long haul. A while back, Licht informed CNN workers of “unsettling” shifts coming to the company later down the line..
CNN's Jake Tapper is being tapped out of primetime following weak viewership.
It was previously reported that CNN boss Chris Licht wanted Tapper to be the "new face" of the network and to be in the 9pm ET time slot permanently. https://t.co/HAb8rCWLXy
— Joseph A. Wulfsohn (@JosephWulfsohn) November 2, 2022
The new boss of CNN also made it clear that many of the changes coming to the network may not be fully understood or agreed with by people in the company,
With many in CNN expecting layoffs to come, there is no telling what the network will look like even six months from now. It goes without saying that anchors who struggle with ratings may be the first ones handed pink slips.
Despite the best efforts of Licht, some Americans are of the view that CNN reached the point of no return long ago.
