History Of CNN (1980–2003)
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The Cable News Network (
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
), is an American
basic cable Cable television first became available in the United States in 1948. By 1989, 53 million American households received cable television subscriptions, with 60 percent of all U.S. households doing so in 1992. A 2021 Pew Research Center survey found ...
and
satellite television Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location.ITU Radio Regulations, Section IV. Radio Stations and Systems ...
channel owned by the CNN Worldwide division of
Warner Bros. Discovery Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media and Outline of entertainment, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It was formed from WarnerMedi ...
. Upon its launch, CNN became the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and was the first all-news television network in the United States. Founded under
Turner Broadcasting System Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. was an American television and media conglomerate founded by Ted Turner in 1965. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it merged with Time Warner (later WarnerMedia) on October 10, 1996. As of April 2022, all of its asse ...
in 1980, the channel's success set the stage for conglomerate
Time Warner Warner Media, LLC ( doing business as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate owned by AT&T. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City. It was established as Time Warne ...
's acquisition of the parent company in 1996. Time Warner later became WarnerMedia after AT&T Inc.'s buyout in 2018. However, due to creative differences and debts, AT&T split from WarnerMedia as it merged with
Discovery, Inc. Discovery, Inc. was an American multinational mass media factual television conglomerate based in New York City. Established in 1982, the company operated a group of factual and lifestyle television brands, such as the namesake Discovery Chan ...
, forming
Warner Bros. Discovery Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media and Outline of entertainment, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It was formed from WarnerMedi ...
in 2022.


Early history (1980–1989)


Launch

Three and a half years before CNN's launch, in December 1976,
Ted Turner Robert Edward Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and Philanthropy, philanthropist. He founded the CNN, Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour United States cable news, ...
turned his
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
independent station An independent station is a broadcast station, usually a television station, not affiliated with a larger broadcast television network, network. As such, it only broadcasts broadcast syndication, syndicated programs it has purchased; brokered pr ...
WTCG into one of the original satellite-distributed television channels, leasing a
transponder In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''. In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight trans ...
on
RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...
's
Satcom 1 Satcom, a portmanteau of satellite communications, was a brand of artificial geo-stationary communications satellites originally developed and operated by RCA American Communications ( RCA Americom) that facilitated wide-area telecommunicatio ...
geostationary satellite. The Cable News Network was intended to be distributed on RCA's new Satcom 3, which was lost on its launch date of December 7, 1979. Because replacement transmission capacity was not readily available, the
Turner Broadcasting System Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. was an American television and media conglomerate founded by Ted Turner in 1965. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it merged with Time Warner (later WarnerMedia) on October 10, 1996. As of April 2022, all of its asse ...
filed suit against RCA seeking use of another
communications satellite A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a Transponder (satellite communications), transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a Rad ...
and $35.5 million in damages. On March 5, Turner announced that a consent order had been worked out with RCA in federal court, allowing CNN to begin operations on June 1 as scheduled, using a transponder on Satcom 1. The network launched on Sunday, June 1, 1980, at 6:00 p.m.
Eastern Time The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, and the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico. * Eastern Standard Time (EST) is five hours behi ...
with an original staff of 300 employees based at its headquarters in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, and bureaus in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
,
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
,
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
,
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
and
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
The station first pictured a shot of the CNN logo on a red background bar with a 750
hertz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or Cycle per second, cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in ter ...
beep tone followed by silence. Afterwards, the inaugural broadcast on the channel was an introduction by
Ted Turner Robert Edward Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and Philanthropy, philanthropist. He founded the CNN, Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour United States cable news, ...
. Following the introduction and a pre-recorded version of "
The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort ...
" (which was a tradition whenever a new Turner-owned network launched) that was played afterward officially opening based at its headquarters in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
and bureaus in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
,
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
,
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
,
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
and
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
the husband and wife team of
Dave Walker David Walker (born 25 January 1945) is an English singer and guitarist who has been front-man for a number of bands; most notably The Idle Race, Savoy Brown and Humble Pie, he also served briefly with Fleetwood Mac and Black Sabbath. Histo ...
and
Lois Hart Lois Hackbert Hart Walker (born February 5, 1950, in Atlanta, Georgia) is a retired journalist. She co-anchored the evening news in Sacramento on KCRA-TV with her husband, Dave Walker, from 1990 through 2008. Lois first joined KCRA in the 1970s a ...
as very first news anchored the channel's very first newscast. Among the first segments was an interview with then-
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
by
Daniel Schorr Daniel Louis Schorr (August 31, 1916 – July 23, 2010) was an American journalist who covered world news for more than 60 years. He was most recently a Senior News Analyst for National Public Radio (NPR). Schorr won three Emmy Awards for his te ...
. And to let "the undecided voter … hear the issues debated by all three leading candidates" in the second 1980 presidential debate, Schorr read the debate questions to
John B. Anderson John Bayard Anderson (February 15, 1922 – December 3, 2017) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 16th congressional district from 1961 to 1981. A member of ...
. CNN then aired Anderson's live responses along with tape delay of Carter and
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
's responses, despite technical difficulties. In April 1981, CNN successfully sued the
Big Three television networks From the 1950s to the 1980s, during the network era of American television, there were three commercial broadcast television networks – NBC (the National Broadcasting Company, "the Peacock Network"), CBS (the Columbia Broadcasting System ...
and the
Reagan administration Ronald Reagan's tenure as the 40th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1981, and ended on January 20, 1989. Reagan, a Republican from California, took office following his landslide victory over ...
for equal representation in the
White House press corps White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wavele ...
. On January 1, 1982, the channel launched a spin-off network called CNN2, which was subsequently renamed Headline News (HLN) the following year in January 1983. Whereas CNN featured a mix of newscasts and specialized topical and feature programs, Headline News was originally formatted to strictly focus on rolling news coverage, featuring half-hour newscasts 24 hours a day with segments scheduled in fixed timeslots each half-hour; as such, it was one of the first news channels to utilize a "wheel" schedule. Headline News would scale back its rolling news coverage in February 2005, with the incorporation of personality-based news discussion programs during its nighttime schedule. Following the launch of CNN, other cable news channels launched in an attempt to capitalize on the channel's growing success, which often had marginal to no success in competing with CNN. One of the first was Satellite News Channel, which launched on June 21, 1982, with a mix of national and regionally focused newscasts; after the channel ceased operations on October 27, 1983, its satellite transponder slot was subsequently purchased by Ted Turner to expand the distribution of Headline News further into additional homes. After five years, CNN outgrew its original home, a former country club on the outskirts of
midtown Atlanta Midtown Atlanta, or Midtown for short, is a Urban area, high-density commercial and residential neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The exact geographical extent of the area is ill-defined due to differing definitions used ...
. In 1985, Turner purchased the Omni International complex from its original developer, Atlanta-based real estate mogul
Tom Cousins Thomas Grady Cousins (born December 7, 1931) is an American real estate developer, sports supporter and philanthropist, primarily based in Atlanta, Georgia. Cousins was a leader in shaping the skyline in Atlanta, and he purchased and brought the ...
, and moved CNN's headquarters to the building, rechristening the complex as the
CNN Center The Center, formerly and still commonly called the CNN Center, is the former international headquarters of U.S. cable network CNN in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The main newsrooms and studios for several of CNN's news channels were located ...
. As Omni International, the complex had never succeeded. Cousins sold it to Turner, along with the
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
franchise. CNN moved into the end of the tower that once housed
The World of Sid and Marty Krofft The World of Sid and Marty Krofft was an entirely indoor amusement park in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It was based on the various television shows produced by the sibling duo Sid and Marty Krofft. History The park was built in the ...
. Turner was instrumental in the revival of Atlanta's downtown.


Original programs


''Moneyline''

''Moneyline'' premiered in 1980 and was CNN's main financial program for more than 20 years. As the show, hosted by
Lou Dobbs Louis Carl Dobbs (September 24, 1945 – July 18, 2024) was an American conservative political commentator, author, and television host who presented '' Moneyline'' (later ''Lou Dobbs Tonight'') from 1980 to 2009 and 2011 to 2021. From 2021 unti ...
, moved more towards general news and economic and
political commentary Political criticism, also referred to as political commentary or political discussion, is a type of criticism that is specific of or relevant to politics, including policies, politicians, political parties, and types of government. See also *Cr ...
, it was renamed ''Moneyline with Lou Dobbs'', ''Lou Dobbs Moneyline'' and then ''
Lou Dobbs Tonight ''Lou Dobbs Tonight'' is an American political and financial talk program that was hosted by Lou Dobbs. The program initially aired on CNN from its launch under the title ''Moneyline'', as its main financial news program. The program later shift ...
''. In 2010, Dobbs – the last remaining original host from the network's launch in 1980 – resigned amid controversy over his questioning of whether President Barack Obama was a native-born U.S. citizen – a qualification for the presidency required under the
U.S. Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally including seven articles, the Constituti ...
.


''Evans & Novak''

The political discussion show '' Evans and Novak'' was created in 1980, with Rowland Evans and
Robert Novak Robert David Sanders Novak (February 26, 1931 – August 18, 2009) was an American syndicated columnist, journalist, television personality, author, and conservative political commentator. After working for two newspapers before serving in the ...
as its hosts. It became one of the cable network's most-watched discussion programs. Only a short time after,
Al Hunt Albert Reinold Hunt Jr. (born December 4, 1942) is an American journalist, formerly a columnist for Bloomberg View (from which he retired at the end of 2018), the editorial arm of Bloomberg News (which is a subsidiary of Bloomberg L.P.). Hunt ho ...
and
Mark Shields Mark Stephen Shields (May 25, 1937 – June 18, 2022) was an American political columnist, advisor, and commentator. He worked in leadership positions for many Democratic candidates' electoral campaigns. Shields provided weekly political anal ...
joined the show as occasional panelists; the name of the program was eventually changed to ''Evans, Novak, Hunt & Shields'' in 1998 when Hunt and Shields were named as permanent members of the show.


''Crossfire''

In June 1982, the channel launched a late night political debate program, ''
Crossfire A crossfire (also known as interlocking fire) is a military term for the siting of weapons (often automatic weapons such as assault rifles or sub-machine guns) so that their arcs of fire overlap. This tactic came to prominence in World War I. ...
'', which featured discussions on political issues from opposing viewpoints; it was hosted by liberal Tom Braden and
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
Pat Buchanan Patrick Joseph Buchanan ( ; born November 2, 1938) is an American paleoconservative author, political commentator, and politician. He was an assistant and special consultant to U.S. presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. He ...
. The idea of the program came about when Braden and Buchanan debated on a daily radio show in 1978. The show soon became popular and was moved to a primetime slot. In 1985, Buchanan left the show to become the
communications director Director of communications is a position in both the private and public sectors. A director of communications is responsible for managing and directing an organization's internal and external communications. Directors of communications supervis ...
for the
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
presidential administration. He was replaced by conservative columnist Robert Novak, who had already co-hosted another political program on CNN, ''Evans & Novak'' and was also a regular on ''
The McLaughlin Group ''The McLaughlin Group'' was a syndicated half-hour weekly public affairs talk show television program in the United States, hosted by John McLaughlin from 1982 until his death in 2016. Prompted by the host, the group of four pundits discus ...
'' at the time. Buchanan returned to the show in 1987, replacing Novak. In 1989, Braden was replaced by
Michael Kinsley Michael E. Kinsley (born March 9, 1951) is an American political journalist and commentator. Primarily active in print media as both a writer and editor, he also became known to television audiences as a co-host on '' Crossfire''. Early life and ...
, a liberal columnist for ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'', and magazine editor for ''
The New Republic ''The New Republic'' (often abbreviated as ''TNR'') is an American magazine focused on domestic politics, news, culture, and the arts from a left-wing perspective. It publishes ten print magazines a year and a daily online platform. ''The New Y ...
''.


''Larry King Live''

In June 1985, CNN launched a primetime interview show hosted by
Larry King Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was an American TV and radio host presenter, author, and former spokesman. He was a WMBM radio interviewer in the Miami area in the 1950s and 1960s and beginning in ...
. ''
Larry King Live ''Larry King Live'' is an American television talk show broadcast by CNN from June 3, 1985 to December 16, 2010. Hosted by Larry King, it was the network's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly. Ma ...
'' featured interviews with one or more prominent individuals, mainly celebrities, politicians and businesspeople. The show became the longest-running program on CNN, lasting for 25 years until King's retirement from the network in 2010. It was the highest-rated news show on television until 2001, when ''
The O'Reilly Factor ''The O'Reilly Factor'' (originally titled ''The O'Reilly Report'' and also known as ''The Factor'') is an American cable television news and talk show. ''The O'Reilly Factor'' first aired in the United States on Fox News Channel on October 7 ...
'' on rival
Fox News Channel The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American multinational conservative news and political commentary television channel and website based in New York City, U.S. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is ow ...
surpassed ''Larry King Live'' in the ratings and has remained the highest-rated cable news program ever since. Unlike many interviewers, Larry King had a direct, non-confrontational approach. His interview style was characteristically frank, but with occasional bursts of irreverence and humor. His approach attracted some guests who would not otherwise appear. King, who was known for his general lack of pre-interview preparation, once bragged that he never pre-read the books of authors who appeared on his show. Critics have claimed that Larry King asked "soft" questions in comparison to other interviewers, which allowed him to reach guests who would be averse to interviewing on "tough" talk shows. On February 24, 1987, King suffered a major
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
and had to undergo a quintuple-bypass surgery. It was a life-altering event as previously,
smoking Smoking is a practice in which a substance is combusted, and the resulting smoke is typically inhaled to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream of a person. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, whi ...
was one of his trademarks and he was unashamed of his addiction. King was a three-pack-a-day smoker and kept a lit cigarette during his interviews, so he would not have to take time to light up during breaks. After the incident, he encouraged curbing smoking to reduce the risk of
cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina, heart attack), heart failure, hypertensive heart disease, rheumati ...
.


Variety shows

* '' Sports Tonight'' (1980–2001) * ''
People in the News This is a list of news programs broadcast by CNN. CNN is a United States cable news, 24-hour cable news network founded by media mogul Ted Turner. The network debuted on June 1, 1980. Current programming Weekday programming Saturday prog ...
'' * '' Style with Elsa Klensch'' (1980–2000) * ''
Business Morning Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products (such as goods and services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit." A business entity is not necessaril ...
'' * '' CNN Daybreak'' (1980–2005)


Early coverage


Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster

On January 28, 1986, CNN was the only TV network news to provide live coverage of
the launch ''The Launch'' is a Canadian reality music competition created by Daniel Lachance. The series broadcast by CTV, which premiered on January 10, 2018. Each episode of the series follows five emerging musicians competing for a chance to have a d ...
of the Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' to the public. However,
NASA TV NASA TV (originally NASA Select) was the television service of the NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It was broadcast by satellite television, satellite with a simulcast over the Internet. Local cable television provid ...
provided the live coverage to schools nationwide, and HBO (Home Box Office) carried the live feed without commentary as well (before its normal broadcast, at that time, of films beginning in the late afternoon). The Space Shuttle Challenger abruptly disintegrated just 73 seconds after lift-off. Seven astronauts, including schoolteacher
Christa McAuliffe Sharon Christa McAuliffe ( Corrigan; September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986) was an American teacher and astronaut from Concord, New Hampshire who died on the Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' on mission STS-51-L, where she was serving as a payloa ...
, were killed in the disaster. Then President Ronald Reagan postponed the
State of the Union Address The State of the Union Address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of most calendar years on the current condit ...
that evening. He addressed the nation in the time of tragedy and grief from the
Oval Office The Oval Office is the formal working space of the president of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C. The oval room has three lar ...
. On January 31, 1986, two days after the tragedy, CNN provided live coverage of the memorial service for the Challenger crew members at
Johnson Space Center The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) is NASA's center for human spaceflight in Houston, Texas (originally named the Manned Spacecraft Center), where human spaceflight training, research, and flight controller, flight control are conducted. ...
in
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
.


Baby Jessica rescue

On October 14, 1987, 18-month-old toddler
Jessica McClure Jessica McClure Morales (born March 26, 1986; widely known as "Baby Jessica" in 1987) fell into a well in her aunt's backyard in Midland, Texas, on October 14, 1987, at the age of 18 months. Over the next 58 hours, rescuers worked to free ...
fell down a well in
Midland, Texas Midland is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Midland County with small portions extending into Martin County. The population was 132,524 as of the 2020 census. Located in the Permian Basin in West Texas, Midland is a ...
. CNN quickly reported on the story, and the event helped make its name. ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' columnist Lisa Belkin wrote a retrospective article in 1995 on the impact of live video news:


Leadership under Tom Johnson (1990–2000)

In 1990, Tom Johnson, who formerly served as publisher of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' for 13 years, was named as the president of CNN. Under Johnson, CNN expanded its reach with the launches of a number of cable and satellite television networks, both domestic and internationally, beginning with the 1991 launch of
CNN International Cable News Network International or CNN International (CNNi, simply branded on-air as CNN) is an international television channel and website, owned by CNN Worldwide. CNN International carries news-related programming worldwide; it cooperates ...
. Two specialized closed-circuit networks launched in 1991: CNN Airport Network, which provides a mix of original content and simulcasts of CNN International to national and world airports; and
CNN Checkout Channel CNN Checkout Channel was a satellite television network operated by ActMedia and Turner Broadcasting System through its CNN and Turner Private Networks subsidiaries. The network was a place-based out-of-home advertising service, fed via televis ...
, a customized channel made available to
grocery store A grocery store ( AE), grocery shop or grocer's shop ( BE) or simply grocery is a retail store that primarily retails a general range of food products, which may be fresh or packaged. In everyday US usage, however, "grocery store" is a synon ...
s which shut down in 1993. 1996 saw the debuts of two specialty news channels:
CNNSI CNN/Sports Illustrated (CNN/SI) was a 24-hour sports news network. Created when Time Warner merged its CNN and ''Sports Illustrated'' brands, it launched on December 12, 1996. Other news networks like ESPNews provided 30-minute blocks of new ...
, a sports news channel created in partnership with co-owned magazine ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'', and
CNNfn CNNfn (with "fn" an initialism for "financial network") was an American cable television news network operated by the CNN subsidiary of the media conglomerate Time Warner from December 29, 1995, and of AOL Time Warner until December 15, 2004. Th ...
, a business news channel created as a competitor to
CNBC CNBC is an American List of business news channels, business news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group, a unit of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The network broadcasts live business news and analysis programming during the morning, Day ...
(CNNSI shut down in 2002, while CNNfn shut down in December 2004; CNN continues to maintain a partnership with ''Sports Illustrated'' through CNNSI.com). CNN launched its website, CNN.com (initially an experiment known as ''CNN Interactive''), on August 30, 1995, which grew to become one of the most popular news websites in the world. Several specialty websites were launched in later years such as
CNNMoney CNN Business (formerly CNN Money) is a financial news and information website, operated by CNN. The website was originally formed as a joint venture between CNN.com and Time Warner's '' Fortune'' and ''Money'' magazines. Since the spin-off of T ...
, created in partnership with fellow co-owned magazine ''
Money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are: m ...
''; CNN also launched a
radio network There are two types of radio network currently in use around the world: the one-to-many (simplex communication) broadcast network commonly used for public information and mass media, mass-media entertainment, and the two-way radio (Duplex (teleco ...
that provided news updates and other content to radio stations nationwide. The network grew to include 36 bureaus (10 domestic, 26 international), and expanded its broadcast partnerships to more than 900 affiliated local stations (which also receive news and features content via the affiliate video service CNN Newsource). CNN's success made a bona-fide mogul of founder Ted Turner and set the stage for multimedia conglomerate Time Warner's eventual acquisition of the Turner Broadcasting System in 1996.


Coverage of the Gulf War

The first Persian
Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
in 1991 was a watershed event for CNN that catapulted the network past the " big three" American networks for the first time in its history, largely due to an unprecedented, historical scoop: CNN was the only news outlet with the ability to communicate from inside
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
during the initial hours of the American bombing campaign, with live reports from the al-Rashid Hotel in
Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
by reporters
Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...
, John Holliman, and
Peter Arnett Peter Gregg Arnett (born 13 November 1934) is a New Zealand-born American journalist. He is known for his coverage of the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. He was awarded the 1966 Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting for his work in Vietnam f ...
. The moment when bombing began was announced on CNN by Bernard Shaw on January 16, 1991, as follows: The Gulf War experience brought CNN some much sought-after legitimacy and made household names of previously obscure, low-paid reporters. Many of these reporters now comprise CNN's "old guard." Bernard Shaw became CNN's chief anchor until his retirement in 2001. Others include then-
Pentagon In geometry, a pentagon () is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple polygon, simple pentagon is 540°. A pentagon may be simple or list of self-intersecting polygons, self-intersecting. A self-intersecting ...
correspondent
Wolf Blitzer Wolf Isaac Blitzer (born March 22, 1948) is an American journalist, television news anchor, and author who has been a CNN reporter since 1990, and who currently serves as one of the principal anchors at the network. He has been a host of ''The ...
(now host of ''The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, The Situation Room'') and international correspondent Christiane Amanpour. Amanpour's presence in Iraq was caricatured by actress Nora Dunn in the role of the ruthless reporter Adriana Cruz in the 1999 film ''Three Kings (1999 film), Three Kings''. Fellow WarnerMedia, Time Warner-owned network HBO later produced a television movie, ''Live from Baghdad'', about CNN's coverage of the first Gulf War. CNN was criticized for excessively pushing human interest story, 'human interest' stories and avoiding depictions of violent images; the result of all this being an alleged 'propagandistic' presentation of news. A report by Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting quotes an unnamed CNN reporter as describing "the 'sweet beautiful sight' of bombers taking off from Saudi Arabia."


The CNN effect

Coverage of the first Gulf War and other crises of the early 1990s (particularly the infamous Battle of Mogadishu (1993), Battle of Mogadishu) led officials at the Pentagon to coin the term "the CNN effect" to describe the perceived impact of Real-time computing, real time, 24-hour news coverage on the decision-making processes of the Federal government of the United States, American government. John Kiesewetter explained:


Shows created


''Both Sides with Jesse Jackson''

''Both Sides with Jesse Jackson'' was a political talk show, hosted by Civil rights movement, civil rights leader and two-time presidential candidate Jesse Jackson, that aired on Sundays. Each program began with a short taped report on the topic being discussed in that week's edition by CNN correspondent John Bisney. The show ran from 1992 to 2000.Rev. Jesse Jackson.
(October 2001). ''RainbowPush.org''. Retrieved 2007-06-18.


''Capital Gang''

''Capital Gang'' is one of cable news' longest-running programs; running from 1988 to 2005 on Saturday nights, it featured discussions of the week's political news stories. The original panelists were
Pat Buchanan Patrick Joseph Buchanan ( ; born November 2, 1938) is an American paleoconservative author, political commentator, and politician. He was an assistant and special consultant to U.S. presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. He ...
,
Al Hunt Albert Reinold Hunt Jr. (born December 4, 1942) is an American journalist, formerly a columnist for Bloomberg View (from which he retired at the end of 2018), the editorial arm of Bloomberg News (which is a subsidiary of Bloomberg L.P.). Hunt ho ...
,
Mark Shields Mark Stephen Shields (May 25, 1937 – June 18, 2022) was an American political columnist, advisor, and commentator. He worked in leadership positions for many Democratic candidates' electoral campaigns. Shields provided weekly political anal ...
and
Robert Novak Robert David Sanders Novak (February 26, 1931 – August 18, 2009) was an American syndicated columnist, journalist, television personality, author, and conservative political commentator. After working for two newspapers before serving in the ...
. When Buchanan left the network to run for president, Margaret Warner, Mona Charen, and later Margaret Carlson and Kate O'Beirne became regular panelists.


''Burden of Proof''

''Burden of Proof'' was a show that discussed legal issues of the day, hosted by Greta Van Susteren and Roger Cossack. It debuted in 1995 and was canceled in 2001. The show was developed by CNN Executive Vice-president Gail Evans.


''TalkBack Live''

''TalkBack Live'' is a daytime talk show that aired on CNN from 1994 to 2003. The hour-long program, which was broadcast from the first floor of
CNN Center The Center, formerly and still commonly called the CNN Center, is the former international headquarters of U.S. cable network CNN in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The main newsrooms and studios for several of CNN's news channels were located ...
and aired at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time each weekday, allowed questions and comments from audience members and calls from viewers. It was hosted at various times by Susan Rook, Bobbie Battista, Karyn Bryant and Arthel Neville.


End of the monopoly

In 1996, CNN received its first major competitors with the launch of MSNBC, originally a joint venture between NBC and Microsoft, and News Corporation (1980–2013), News Corporation's
Fox News Channel The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American multinational conservative news and political commentary television channel and website based in New York City, U.S. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is ow ...
; despite this, CNN remained #1 in the ratings among the cable news channels and ''Larry King Live'' remained its most-watched news show. In 1998, CNN, in partnership with corporate sister ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine, ran a report that Operation Tailwind in 1970 in Vietnam included use of Sarin gas to kill a group of defectors from the Military of the United States, United States military. The Pentagon denied the story. Skeptics deemed it improbable that such an extraordinary and risky atrocity could have gone unnoticed at the height of the Vietnam War's unpopularity. CNN, after a two-week inquiry, issued a retraction.


Restarting business (2001–2006)

In 2000 and 2001, CNN hired many key people such as Anderson Cooper, Aaron Brown (journalist), Aaron Brown, Paula Zahn and (rehired)
Lou Dobbs Louis Carl Dobbs (September 24, 1945 – July 18, 2024) was an American conservative political commentator, author, and television host who presented '' Moneyline'' (later ''Lou Dobbs Tonight'') from 1980 to 2009 and 2011 to 2021. From 2021 unti ...
. The leadership of the network also changed. Kaplan left CNN in 2000, and moreover Tom Johnson retired as head of CNN in 2001 after 10 years. Following his retirement, new management and increased competition from Fox News, Fox News Channel led to the network's gradual decline during the decade.


New shows


''NewsNight with Aaron Brown''

Created in 2001, ''NewsNight with Aaron Brown'' focused on investigative journalism and had a strong emphasis on interviews. The program included segments such as "The Whip" (which quickly previewed segments from four reporters at large), "On The Rise" and "Segment 7". The Morning Papers segment, known as "The Rooster", featured a brief preview of compelling or interesting headlines from the next day's newspapers around the world. The segment concluded with the weather forecast for
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
as provided in the ''Chicago Sun-Times''. ''Newsnight'' was cancelled on November 5, 2005, and Brown resigned from CNN shortly afterward.


''Paula Zahn Now''

The primetime show that aired in the timeslot preceding ''Larry King Live'', ''Paula Zahn Now'', which debuted in 2003, was never very popular. It competed against Fox News Channel's ''The O'Reilly Factor'', which had grown to become the highest-rated cable news program. The program lasted for four years before being cancelled on August 2, 2007.


''Connie Chung Tonight''

Launched in 2002, ''Connie Chung Tonight'' was a short-lived news and interview show, hosted by Connie Chung, that was canceled after one year on the air.


''The Point w/Greta Van Susteren''

Greta Van Susteren, who had been with CNN as a correspondent for over a decade, began hosting her own primetime news and interview show in 2001, called ''The Point (CNN program), The Point''; the program was canceled after a year, with Van Susteren joining Fox News Channel shortly afterward.


''The Spin Room''

''The Spin Room'', a half-hour debate show that aired in the 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time slot, debuted in 2000 and was hosted by Tucker Carlson and Bill Press; the program was canceled after a few months and replaced by ''Greenfield at Large''.


''Greenfield at Large''

Launched in 2001 and hosted by Jeff Greenfield, ''Greenfield at Large'', which replaced ''The Spin Room'' in the 10:30 p.m. slot, was also short-lived; it was cancelled in 2002 and replaced by ''NewsNight with Aaron Brown'', which was expanded to an hour.


Coverage


9/11 attacks

CNN was the first major network to break the news of the September 11 attacks in 2001. News presenter, Anchor Carol Lin was on the air to deliver the first public report of the event. She broke into a commercial at 8:49 a.m. Eastern Time and said: Sean Murtagh, CNN vice president for finance and administration, was the first network employee on the air in New York City. Coincidentally, Paula Zahn, who assisted in the coverage, began working as a CNN reporter on the day that the attacks occurred (Zahn mentioned this fact on a 2005 episode of ''Jeopardy!'', in which she appeared as a guest clue presenter). Amongst the criticisms levied against CNN, as well as the other major U.S. news channels, is the charge that CNN took a lenient approach to the George W. Bush administration, Bush administration, particularly after the September 11 attacks. At the 2002 Newsworld Asia conference held in Singapore, the executive vice-president and general manager of CNN International, was quoted as saying: "Anyone who claims the US media didn't censor itself is kidding you. It wasn't a matter of government pressure but a reluctance to criticize anything in a war that was obviously supported by the vast majority of the people. And this isn't just a CNN issue – every journalist who was in any way involved in 9/11 is partly responsible."


Iraq War

In April 2003, Eason Jordan, chief news executive at CNN, wrote an op-ed piece in ''The New York Times'' stating that he had lobbied the Iraqi government for 12 years in order to maintain a CNN presence in Ba'athist Iraq, Iraq. He also admitted to withholding what would be considered newsworthy information of the government's atrocities, citing fears that releasing news would potentially endanger the lives of Iraqis working for CNN in Baghdad, some of whom had already been subject to beatings and torture. Critics take particularly strong exception to the handling of the Bush administration's rhetoric leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Veteran CNN reporter Christiane Amanpour characterized the behavior of the news media as "self-muzzling" and as "cheerleaders for the Bush war drive against Iraq". An editorial in the German publication ''Süddeutsche Zeitung'' compared CNN's war coverage to "live coverage of the Super Bowl", and the Qatar-based Al Jazeera Arabic, Al-Jazeera news network has criticized CNN for portraying U.S. soldiers as heroes.


Partnering events (2007–2017)


New anchors

Daryn Kagan and Leon Harris were live on the air just after 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time as the second plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center and through an interview with CNN correspondent David Ensor (journalist), David Ensor, reported the news that U.S. officials determined "that this is a terrorist act". Later, Aaron Brown (journalist), Aaron Brown and Judy Woodruff anchored through the day and night as the attacks unfolded, winning an Edward R. Murrow Award (Radio Television Digital News Association), Edward R. Murrow award for the network. Brown had just joined CNN from American Broadcasting Company, ABC to serve as the breaking news anchor.


2008 U.S. election

Leading up to the 2008 United States presidential election, 2008 U.S. presidential election, CNN devoted large amounts of its coverage to politics, including hosting candidate debates during the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic and Republican Party (United States), Republican primary seasons. On June 3 and 5, 2007, CNN teamed up with Saint Anselm College to sponsor the New Hampshire Republican and Democratic Debates. Later that year, the channel hosted the first CNN/YouTube presidential debates, a non-traditional format where viewers were invited to pre-submit questions over the internet via the YouTube video-sharing service. In 2008, CNN partnered with the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' to host two primary debates leading up to its coverage of Super Tuesday. CNN's debate and election night coverage led to its highest ratings of the year, with January 2008 viewership averaging 1.1 million viewers, a 41% increase over the previous year.


2016 U.S. election

Driven by live coverage of the year's 2016 United States presidential election, U.S. presidential election, 2016 was CNN's most-watched year in its history. Throughout the campaign, the network aired unedited coverage of many of the List of rallies for the 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign, Trump campaign rallies. Aides for Republican candidates Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, and Ted Cruz accused CNN President Jeff Zucker of undermining their candidates during the Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016, Republican primaries. After the election, Zucker acknowledged that it was a mistake to air so many of the campaign rallies. CNN also drew criticism during the election for hiring former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who was still being paid by and was effectively working on behalf of the campaign.


Political subject controversies

The First presidency of Donald Trump, presidency of Donald Trump led to many prominent CNN controversies, controversies involving CNN. Critics have accused the network of excessive coverage of Donald Trump and Democratic Party (United States), Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. CNN president Jeff Zucker defended CNN against the criticism, commenting that Trump was the most willing Republican candidate to give on-air interviews. Trump's response to the allegations during his speech at the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), jokingly referring to CNN as the "Clinton News Network." On June 26, 2017, CNN investigative journalists Thomas Frank, Eric Lichtblau, and Lex Haris resigned after the network retracted an online article that incorrectly connected Trump aide Anthony Scaramucci to a $10 billion Russian investment fund. The network apologized to Scaramucci and admitted that the online story did not meet its Journalism ethics and standards, editorial standards. Zucker responded by stressing that the network needs to "play error-free ball" regarding future stories about Trump. In July 2017, Trump posted a video on Twitter of himself tackling Vince McMahon on the ground during WrestleMania 23, edited to replace McMahon's face with the CNN logo. Trump's criticism of mainstream media outlets could have encouraged right-wing supporters to commit violence against journalists. CNN also faced criticism over an investigation that identified the Reddit user (r/The_Donald) who had allegedly created the video, facing accusations that they had blackmailed the user.


New ownerships and expansion (2018–present)


2018–2022: WarnerMedia

Later that month, a group of Democratic senators, led by Amy Klobuchar, issued a request for information over allegations that the Trump administration was planning to use CNN as "leverage for political gain" in the process of clearing the proposed acquisition of its parent company Time Warner by AT&T—a purchase which was first announced in October 2016. ''The Daily Caller'' reported that, in particular, the administration was seeking the removal of Jeff Zucker as CNN president. Although Trump had promised to block the acquisition entirely during his presidential campaign, Trump's transition team later stated that the government planned to evaluate the deal without prejudice. Following the announcement of the acquisition, AT&T CEO Randall L. Stephenson stated that the company was "committed to continuing the editorial independence of CNN". In August 2017, ''Deadline Hollywood'' reported that AT&T had considered spinning off CNN and its stake in TMZ post-acquisition. In October 2017, Stephenson downplayed the possibility that the ongoing tensions between Trump and CNN could affect the deal, stating that he "[didn't] know what the relevance of CNN is in terms of an antitrust review", and that AT&T did not plan to make managerial changes to Time Warner properties that were operating well, such as CNN. On November 6, 2017, Stephenson met with Makan Delrahim, assistant Attorney General of the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division, to discuss antitrust and concentration of media ownership concerns surrounding the acquisition, and possible options for satisfying them. Two days later, major media outlets publicly reported that the Justice Department had recommended that either the entire Turner Broadcasting System unit, or DirecTV, be divested as a condition of the merger. The ''Financial Times'' went further, stating that it had specifically demanded the divestment of CNN. At the ''DealBook'' conference in New York City the next day, Stephenson denied that the department had demanded the divestment of CNN at all (stating that he had "never been told that the price of getting the deal done was selling CNN"), and that the company aimed to "get to a negotiated settlement". However, he stated that if they were unable to do so, AT&T was "prepared to litigate". In a statement to
CNBC CNBC is an American List of business news channels, business news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group, a unit of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The network broadcasts live business news and analysis programming during the morning, Day ...
, a Department of Justice official backed Stephenson, denying that there were any specific demands to divest CNN during the discussion, and considering the claims to be "shocking" and an attempt to politicize the situation. The official added that the department had officially recommended either abandoning the deal entirely, or divesting DirecTV or Turner, but that it was open to other options for quelling antitrust concerns. The same day, the watchdog group Protect Democracy sued the Department of Justice to seek information on whether the Trump administration had "improperly interfered with the Department's review of the merger between AT&T and Time Warner, or has acted in that matter based on the President's personal dislike of CNN's protected speech." The group had issued a Freedom of Information Act (United States), Freedom of Information Act request for these details, but the department had not responded. On November 20, 2017, the Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit over the acquisition. After United States District Court for the District of Columbia, District of Columbia U.S. District Court judge Richard J. Leon ruled in favor of AT&T in the lawsuit, AT&T completed its acquisition of Time Warner on June 14, 2018, and renamed the company WarnerMedia. In March 2019, WarnerMedia announced a reorganization that effectively dissolved Turner Broadcasting, and CNN became part of the new WarnerMedia News & Sports division. Jeff Zucker was named head of the new division, which added Turner Sports and the AT&T SportsNet regional sports networks to his remit. On May 6, 2019, CNN began to broadcast programming from its new studios at 30 Hudson Yards, which succeeded the Time Warner Center as the network's Manhattan headquarters. Meanwhile, in late May 2019, CNN International announced it was reducing its programming and staff based in London to reduce costs, citing losses of $10 million per-year. In May 2021, AT&T announced that it would divest WarnerMedia, and that it would subsequently merge with Discovery, Inc., Discovery Inc. to form
Warner Bros. Discovery Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media and Outline of entertainment, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It was formed from WarnerMedi ...
, pending shareholder and regulatory approval.


2022–present: Warner Bros. Discovery

In July 2021, CNN announced it would launch a subscription streaming service, CNN+, in the United States during the first quarter of 2022, which would feature original programming and an on-demand library of CNN original series and documentaries. In December 2021, CNN hired long-time Fox News journalist Chris Wallace to host a program on the service. CNN+ would launch on March 28, 2022, shortly before the completion of the WarnerMedia/Discovery merger. After a dismal launch (with CNBC estimating only around 10,000 average daily users), CNN announced on April 21 that CNN+ would be shut down at the end of the month. Both Warner Bros. Discovery's head of Global Streaming & Interactive Entertainment J.B. Perrette, and new CNN head Chris Licht (who replaced the outgoing Jeff Zucker) stated that the service was incompatible with the company's goal of having a single streaming service to cover all of its brands—which would include a future merger of Discovery+ and HBO Max. Perrette stated that the situation was "avoidable", but that the existing leadership (which were unable to discuss plans with Discovery's executives until the completion of the merger for legal restrictions) had gone on with the launch despite the pending merger. During the WBD upfronts in May, Licht argued that "extremes are dominating cable news", and that he planned for CNN to "challenge the traditional philosophy of cable news"—indicating that the network planned to lean back towards its roots as a hard news outlet. He also announced plans to introduce a new morning show that would be a "disruptor [..] in the space", and confirmed that Wallace's CNN+ show, ''Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?'', would move to HBO Max and CNN's Sunday-night lineup. It was later reported that Licht had undertaken the issuance of internal guidance for use of the term "breaking news" on-air, arguing that due to overuse by CNN and others, "its impact has become lost on the audience." In September 2022, following the sudden departures of veteran White House correspondent John Harwood (journalist), John Harwood, chief media correspondent Brian Stelter, and legal pundit Jeffrey Toobin, ''The Washington Post'' reported that many CNN staff believed that the new CEO, Chris Licht, was "starting his tenure by casting out voices that had often been critical of former president Donald Trump and his allies, in an effort to present a new, more ideologically neutral CNN", in line with the vision repeatedly expressed by
Warner Bros. Discovery Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media and Outline of entertainment, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It was formed from WarnerMedi ...
CEO David Zaslav, who hired Licht to head up CNN. Critics have accused CNN of shifting to the right. CNN has denied allegations of shifting to the right or center, saying that "We are entirely focused on our core strength and mission objective journalism, presented in a fair and compelling way. We will continue to acknowledge different worldviews and experiences. We will always stand up for democracy and call out lies regardless of their origin. That is not centrism, that is journalism." On September 15, 2022, CNN announced that primetime anchor Don Lemon, daytime anchor Poppy Harlow, and White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins would co-anchor the new CNN morning show, replacing the outgoing ''New Day''. ''CNN This Morning (2022), CNN This Morning'' premiered November 1, 2022. In October 2022, Licht issued a memo announcing cuts to commissioned and acquired original series and films as a cost savings measure, explaining that "it was based, in large part, on the ever-increasing cost of commissioning third-party premium content. However, I want to be clear that longform content remains an important pillar of our programming." On November 30, Licht announced a series of layoffs as part of cost-cutting measures by Warner Bros. Discovery. In January 2023, Licht announced plans to revamp parts of CNN's daytime rolling news lineup with a new format; the new program, ''CNN News Central'', premiered in April 2023, featuring teams of anchors and an emphasis on visual content. In May 2023, in response to backlash over CNN hosting a town hall featuring former president Donald Trump, Zaslav stated that "Republicans are back on the air" and that CNN was repositioning itself to be a network that focused on "both sides of every issue". Licht was fired as CNN's president and CEO in June 2023, after an article in ''The Atlantic'' revealed that employees had become unhappy with him over actions taken during his tenure. In August 2023, Mark Thompson (media executive), Mark Thompson was hired as chief executive and chairman. On February 5, 2024, Thompson cancelled ''CNN This Morning'', repurposing the branding for its early-morning newscast ''Early Start'', and moving ''CNN News Central'' into its timeslot.


Paywall and premium content strategies

In July 2024, Thompson announced layoffs of approximately 100 employees as part of his strategy to consolidate and integrate CNN's television and digital newsrooms, and increase cooperation between its U.S. and international news departments. He also announced plans to widen CNN's digital video operations, including plans to launch CNN Originals and CNN en Español free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels, increase the involvement of CNN television personalities in video content, and introduce a "TV Futures Lab" to develop programming for Max. Plans were also announced for future subscription offerings on CNN.com, with Thompson adding that the company was "assessing existing areas of digital strength like consumer advice with CNN Underscored and health". CNN's website launched a paywall on October 1, 2024, offering reduced advertising, and exclusive political coverage and documentaries. The paywall is intended to take effect after readers access a limited number of articles before being prompted to pay. The site had previously tested a "registration wall", which required readers to provide their email address for access to further content after a few articles every month. Journalists from ''The Verge'' and ''The New York Times'', whose former chief executive Mark Thompson (media executive), Mark Thompson now leads CNN, noted that the collection of email addresses became the groundwork for marketing of CNN's digital paywall later that year. On January 23, 2025, Thompson announced further layoffs of around 200 employees as part of his ongoing digital strategy. In addition, he revealed continued plans for a major pivot towards video, a "lifestyle-oriented digital product", and a new streaming service. The same day, CNN also announced a major realignment of its schedule that was expected to take effect within the next few weeks, with the new 5 a.m. show ''5 Things with Rahel Solomon'', ''CNN This Morning'' with new anchor Audie Cornish, ''The Situation Room'' moved to a morning timeslot with Pamela Brown (journalist), Pamela Brown as a co-anchor, Kasie Hunt moving to the new 4 p.m. show ''The Arena with Kasie Hunt'', and ''The Lead'' moved up into ''The Situation Room'''s former timeslot. On January 28, 2025, Jim Acosta —whose hour of ''Newsroom'' was cut as part of the new lineup—announced his immediate departure from CNN; Acosta had reportedly declined a move to a proposed late-night program based out of Los Angeles. Most of the new programming premiered on March 3, while Solomon's new program—which had since been retitled ''Early Start'' (the former branding of the current ''CNN This Morning''), would premiere on March 10. Details on the new streaming product were revealed in May 2025, with the service planned to be branded as simply "CNN" and available via both over-the-top and TV Everywhere models.


References


External links


''Booknotes'' interview with Reese Schonfeld on ''Me and Ted Against the World'', March 25, 2001.
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