Internal problems at CNN have jumped from the gossip pages to the New York Times. Brian Stelter reports today (12/8/10) on behind-the-scenes clashesat the new program Parker Spitzer, which is co-hosted by liberal-leaning former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and conservative columnist Kathleen Parker. Stelter writes:
The ratings for CNN‘s latest experiment are stagnant. The show has been troubled by backstage tensions that have spilled out in gossip columns and have given rise to speculation–and some wishful thinking among his supporters–that CNN could make Mr. Spitzer the sole host.
CNN executives and the co-hosts flatly ruled out that outcome in interviews last week. Disappointment with the ratings was evident, even as they emphasized that the show was just starting to get its footing.
The reports adds that the show
pairs Mr. Spitzer, a liberal with a prosecutorâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s bent, and Ms. Parker, who calls herself a rational conservative. “We wanted very much to bring a nonpartisan alternative to television viewers,” Ms. Parker said, a wink at the red- and blue-hued shows on Fox News and MSNBC.
Much of the gossip concerns Spitzer’s apparent domination of the show. This is not terribly surprising; up to this point he’d been making pretty regular appearances on various MSNBC programs, and came across as forceful and reasonably telegenic.
The problem here seems to me to be with CNN‘s self-concept as a the news channel that doesn’t take sides–what supposedly makes it different from its more successful competitors at Fox and MSNBC. If someone wanted to give Eliot Spitzer a show, they could have done that. But to the “take-no-sides” management at CNN, this would have been seen as being overly partisan. Instead, they thought it wise to pair Spitzer with a conservative, so as not to be guilty of the offense of giving a liberal a show. The fact thatthishasn’t drawn a lot of viewers doesn’t seem like a tremendous surprise.
Remember when they had shows starring Glenn Beck and Lou Dobbs? Those were also good examples of nonpartisanship.
sadly, the 5 million or so older folks who watch cable news in the evening don’t want news, they want opinion. plus cnn’s problem is that a fauxnews zombie thinks a “conservative” that would go on any other channel isn’t a real conservative. there’s no reward for trying to be fauxlite.
To pair Spitzer with Parker is like putting a race horse in with Miss America. Bad match. Let Eliot spread his wings and give us the benefit of one of the great political and legal minds of our time. Let Ms. Parker go back to South Carolina. Ah do declare!
Timing too considering some of it is opposite shows I do not want to miss on MSNBC. Spitzer does have telepresence to be sure. But they need to repeat it at a later time. Just as I wish MSNBC wouldn’t shorten their Friday line up giving depressing prison documentaries on Fridays and no real news on the weekend unlike Fox PAC.
It will be amazing indeed if Al Sharpton can bring Limbaugh’s racism to heel through the FCC.
Nightgaunt…You last line should read “it will be amazing indeed if Al Sharptons idea of what is racism is- shall from now on dictate what should be allowed for the listening public,and shall help to remove Rush Limbaugh and all other conservatives/republicans/constitutionalists/libertarians etc from the airwaves due to not making the good revs race baiting cut”.Oh ……also anyone that hurts the liberal agenda.Yippy freedom of speech for all!!!!
CNN is just not a good show at this time.Period
Surprise! Mikey’s defending Rushbo’s racism….again.
Helen did you by any chance know the Rush has a best friend?A man who has produced his show for 20 plus years.A man named Bo Snerdly who roars with laughter at talk of Rush and racism.He is a huge mountain of a man.An African American if you would.Have you ever heard of any of the Rush famous golf trips with only his closest friends to amazing places around the world?Where he enjoys kobi steaks ,fine cigars,and the like.If you ever saw the pictures you would see half of his closest friends are in fact Black!And have been since the seventies.He graces one of the top magazines this week where a lib writer went in one way and came out with amazing respect for the man(though not agreement)and talks of the phony unfounded charges against him.WE on the conservative side are fortunate to have a good bunch of people talking the talk and walking the walk(how about Sarah Palins Alaska).Keep up the hating.It helps us every day
“Some of his best friends are black!” A classic.
I can tell you don’t listen to Rush.WEll Bo calls himself the man who is” black” enough for liberals.HE and Rush do a comedy skit along those lines.An aside to Jesse jackson saying Obama was not black enough ,and had no street cred.IT is a tweeking joke among”black” friends of Rush toward the wee wee libs.No offense meant by quoting the humor.
I’m sure glad somebody used the word “nonpartisan” when it comes to the MSM’s pairing of another Hannity & Colmes-like duo of a clone-a-rant and sychophant. Really. I wouldn’t know what to do if I had to listen to a real leftist tell me just how f***ed-up this country’s become. Or mention in detail why it is that the only Election Day choice left is whether to go to the polls and make a de facto non-choice among paid-for candidates — or just sit the damn thing out.
But at least Spitzer is a “liberal.” After all, he made a name for himself in the Southern NY’s US Attorney’s Office by prosecuting other millionaires. True — his desire for justice in most of these cases was only exceeded by the high profile nature of the defendants. But at least Eliot’s not shy when it comes to defending the people of the United States.
Actually, I thought pairing Spitzer with a woman was a joke. Literally. What’s she supposed to do? Follow him into the bathroom just in case he breaks out with a bad case of Marxism? Doesn’t CNN pay enough? [There — I said it.]
I kinda think Elliot would be more likely to follow “Her”into the bathroom.
HE seems a type A personality in it- always and forever for himelf.I Would be dubious of his motives.Classic narcissistic person unwilling to leave the stage.ON the up side ,I have seen his choice in woman and he does have a good eye.
Hopefully these coming elections will have more vetting and real discourse than the last.