Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

CNN shakes up news administration
CBSMarketwatch ^ | 01/23/04 | Jon Friedman

Posted on 01/23/2004 7:10:30 PM PST by Pikamax

CNN shakes up news administration By Jon Friedman, CBS.MarketWatch.com Last Update: 5:40 PM ET Jan. 23, 2004

NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - CNN, a unit of Time Warner, is shaking up its U.S. news organization and announcing a new Washington bureau chief.

TRADING CENTER

Princell Hair, executive vice president and general manager of CNN's U.S. operations who joined CNN last year, said Friday in an internal statement, a copy of which was obtained by CBSMarketWatch.com, that he is making sweeping changes.

In Washington, Hair appointed David Bohrman, the executive producer of Aaron Brown's show "NewsNight," to be the new bureau chief.

Hair's memo said CNN is "working with" the previous bureau chief, Kathryn Kross, "on a new role with the network." He didn't offer any details.

Kross didn't return a phone call placed to her in the Washington bureau.

In Atlanta, where is CNN has its headquarters, some staffers were concerned that Hair's changes underscore the management's desire to centralize what it had often been a de-centralized news-gathering operation, and a consolidation of the general news production.

Hair said to his troops: "As good as this news organization is -- and make no mistake, it is the best in the world -- it can be even better."

CNN is facing considerable pressure to re-establish itself. This is an opportune time for CNN to assert itself, in the early stages of the presidential campaigns as well as a news-rich year that will also include the rebuilding of Iraq, a continuation of the war on terrorism and the Athens Olympics.

In the past few years, CNN has fallen behind Fox News (FOX: news, chart, profile) in the widely followed TV ratings. CNN long held an advantage over its competitors when big stories broke. But even during the Iraqi war last spring, Fox led in the ratings, underscoring CNN's decline in popularity among American TV viewers.

Hair said the company was making changes because it wanted to "increase the degree to which newsgathering and programming are fully integrated. Nowhere is this integration more important than in our DC bureau."

Hair cited Bohrman's "passion for the news and skill as a producer."

CNN's Washington bureau is one of the network's ornaments. Its reporters, led by the White House correspondents John King, Dana Bash and Suzanne Malveaux and the national security reporter David Ensor and Justice Dept. correspondent Kelli Arena, are widely respected.

But CNN has been hurt by defections of some of its on-air correspondents.

In addition, CNN is changing its chiefs' responsibilities in its 11 domestic bureaus, saying the current system of having bureau chiefs in some cases double as reporters "does not fully make sense."

In most cases, "reporters will no longer be domestic bureau chiefs," he said. He will assign full time administrators to be the bureau managers.

In addition, the U.S. will be divided into four regions, Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, West as well as Washington, DC. Each segment will be managed by a regional bureau chief and a supervising producer will manage daily activities in the outlying bureaus, Hair said.

Boston and New York will make up the Northeast region and will be managed by Karen Curry in New York, Hair said.

Atlanta and Miami will encompass the Southeast and be supervised by MaryLynn Ryan in Atlanta. CNN has expanded the Chicago and Dallas bureaus and added Denver to comprise the Midwest region, which will be led by Edith Chapin in Chicago. Los Angeles bureau chief Pete Janos will direct the Western region, including Seattle and San Francisco.

Jon Friedman is media editor for CBS.MarketWatch.com in New York.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cablenewsnetwork; chickennoodlenews; cnn; cnnschadenfreude; princellhair; schadenfreude
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-63 next last

1 posted on 01/23/2004 7:10:31 PM PST by Pikamax
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Pikamax
The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire...
2 posted on 01/23/2004 7:13:23 PM PST by VaBthang4 (-He who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps-)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pikamax
What's a CNN?
3 posted on 01/23/2004 7:17:48 PM PST by RWR8189 (Its Morning in America Again!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pikamax
His on air reporters may be respected but not by people seeking the truth. Perhaps they are respected by the Michael Moore's of the world.
4 posted on 01/23/2004 7:19:16 PM PST by OldFriend (Always understand, even if you remain among the few)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VaBthang4
The first envelope instructed the new CNN management to "blame previous management".

They have now opened the second envelope. It instructed them to "re-organize".

Third envelope still to come...

5 posted on 01/23/2004 7:22:45 PM PST by okie01 (www.ArmorforCongress.com...because Congress isn't for the morally halt and the mentally lame.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: VaBthang4
I believe the next line includes the phrase, "... let the *^%$*&^@#$er burn."
6 posted on 01/23/2004 7:24:02 PM PST by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig (Heaven's just a sin away, oh heaven's just a sin away.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Timesink
Rearranging-Deck-Chairs-On-The-Titanic-Freude PING
7 posted on 01/23/2004 7:24:11 PM PST by martin_fierro (Uneasy in my easy chair)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pikamax
Isn't telling the truth cheaper than firing people ?

You'de think CNN would get that.

8 posted on 01/23/2004 7:24:58 PM PST by ChadGore (George W. Bush has done more to earn my vote than any other American alive today.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: big ern
Indeed it does.... profound advice.
9 posted on 01/23/2004 7:30:44 PM PST by Tamzee (W '04..... America may not survive a Democrat at this point in our history....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Pikamax
Did they add a new position in charge of interrupting the real news with the latest on the Koby/Jackson/Person cases?
10 posted on 01/23/2004 7:30:46 PM PST by DMCA (TITLE 17 Chapter 1 Sec 107)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pikamax
the U.S. will be divided into four regions, Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, West as well as Washington, DC. Each segment will be managed by a regional bureau chief and a supervising producer will manage daily activities in the outlying bureaus, Hair said

They might want to reconsider their understanding of regions

11 posted on 01/23/2004 7:30:47 PM PST by BigLittle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: OldFriend
I am amazed by the change in Stuart Varney when he left CNN for Fox.

It was somewhere in the late 80's that Stuart applied for a job with my stations. He was badly in need of a job. I was impressed with him. I didn't hire him because I knew he would never stay. He was too good to be in my sized market. he would have only stayed until he got a better job.

It is funny. I never aggreed with what Stuart said on CNN but I have agreed with what he says on FOX.

They are changing graphics, they are changing pace, they are changing producers, they are changing talking heads,.. they are changing everything but what will fix the problem,.... they need to change the content... They will have to fall several more rating points before they finally figure out what is wrong.

CNN and its parent company havn't a clue about the problems.... they are not likely to have a clue about the fix.

It is really pretty simple if youwant viewers just put on what the people want to watch not what you want to program.

The problem is management is never a typical viewer. Yet much of management picks programmers that program to please the boss.

I used to tell my programmers that if I ever tune in and personally like what you are programming, you are just one notch away from being fired.

12 posted on 01/23/2004 7:34:32 PM PST by Common Tator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Common Tator
..you are just one notch away from being fired.

I heard ya, but with ABCNNBCBS...you're talking to a wall

13 posted on 01/23/2004 7:56:28 PM PST by skinkinthegrass (Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you :)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Common Tator
I think Fox should help CNN out a little by giving them back Greta.
14 posted on 01/23/2004 7:59:08 PM PST by tirednvirginia ((But things are looking up!))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Common Tator
Interesting insights.

Prairie
15 posted on 01/23/2004 7:59:33 PM PST by prairiebreeze (God Bless and Protect the Allied Troops. And the families here at home---they are soldiers too.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Common Tator
David Bohrman, the executive producer of Aaron Brown's show "NewsNight,"

If there is a more boring news show on TV, I wish somebody would tell me what it is.

As for Varney, I saw him on Fox not long ago discussing Paul O'Neill. The only thing he didn't do was spit. It was fascinating to watch.

16 posted on 01/23/2004 8:00:35 PM PST by Howlin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Pikamax
ROTFLMCO!!! Notice that they have broken the coverage into regions in order to get a better view of what the nation wants, but they still have all their bureau chiefs in very large and very liberal cities (with the exception of Dallas). What do they think is going to change?

They don't even know that the rest of the country is really out here let alone think about trying to understand what we belive and live for. How on earth do they ever think they are going to appeal to us?

Half the country is conservative. Of the other half, 50% are elitists and the other 50% would never watch the news if their lives depended on it, it might mean they have to actually think about things. So CNN has cut it's market share down to 25% at the most. And they wonder why they are losing the ratings race.

17 posted on 01/23/2004 8:05:53 PM PST by McGavin999 (Evil thrives when good men do nothing!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Common Tator
You might be able to shed some light on this question:

WHY ARE 99% OF ALL NEWSREADERS NOWADAYS WOMEN?

They're easier to look at?

It's a crappy job that only they are willing to put up with?

They're willing to work for less?
18 posted on 01/23/2004 8:17:38 PM PST by martin_fierro (Uneasy in my easy chair)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: martin_fierro; reformed_democrat; Loyalist; =Intervention=; PianoMan; GOPJ; Miss Marple; Tamsey; ...

Schadenfreude

This is the New York Times CNN Schadenfreude Ping List. Freepmail me to be added or dropped.


This is the Mainstream Media Shenanigans ping list. Please freepmail me to be added or dropped.
Please note this is a medium- to high-volume list.
Please feel free to ping me if you come across a thread you would think worthy of this ping list. I can't catch them all!


19 posted on 01/23/2004 8:25:20 PM PST by Timesink (Two fonts walk into a bar. The bartender says, "We don't serve your type here.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Howlin
I wish somebody would tell me what it is

You got me kid... Brown is like watching paint dry.

I was watching CNN a bit today and once again they has new graphics and bumbers... As if that were a factor.

If I were producing Arron Brown I would put laxatives in Brown's coffee and put on the Janitor in his place. It would have to improve ratings.

20 posted on 01/23/2004 8:25:31 PM PST by Common Tator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-63 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson