CNN adds O'Brien, shuffles anchors (Rearranging the Deck Chairs on the SS Turner)

USA TODAY ^ | July 6, 2003 | Peter Johnson

[Dont Mention the War]

With Fox News clobbering it by a 1 million to 2 million viewer margin at night and a 250,000 margin in the morning, CNN, the onetime cable news leader, is regrouping.

Starting today, former NBC Weekend Today host Soledad O'Brien joins Bill Hemmer on American Morning from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET/4 to 7 PT. O'Brien replaces Paula Zahn, who has moved to the 8 p.m. ET/5 PT slot, where she faces cable king Bill O'Reilly. Former ABC anchor Anderson Cooper now anchors the 7 p.m. ET/4 PT hour.

[Nick Danger]

"I'm really not interested in having an anchor ram their opinion down a viewer's throat. I'm more interested in being objective and reporting stories."

Well of course you don't ram your opinions down their throats. You slip the knife in sideways, like all good objective liberal journalists.

You objectively report everything that Tom Daschle said today, you report on all the press releases from environmentalists and anti-gun crusaders, and you objectively tell us that three professors at Berkeley have pronounced Bush "the most failed President in a hundred years." Hey... it's news. They really said that.

No thanks. Rather and Jennings were doing that when you were a zygote. I'd as soon have you tell me flat-out that you're a partisan advocate, and all the stories I'm going to hear today will either highlight items from the DNC's daily talking points memo, or show Republicans throwing homeless grandmothers into the streets. We both know you're going to do that anyway, so why not be up front about it?

[JohnnyZ]

iirc, she's a lib moron.

And . . . she's hot.

[CholeraJoe]

Bill's already made Larry King his b*tch. Now it's Paula's turn.

[Dont Mention the War]

Put Rudi, Robin, and Soledad as co-hosts on a show with a "FOX and Friends" type format, and they might have a chance.

It'll never happen. CNN is terrified of "fun." The newsroom culture will allow for "slightly quirky," but actual FUN equals "unserious news" which equals "going against CNN values."

The fact that CNN hasn't had any values since the day Turner sold them to Time Warner, and especially not since the day Eason Jordan sold his soul (and other peoples' lives) to Iraq just so they could brag about having a bureau there, doesn't seem to be something that anyone at CNN realizes.

[Itzlzha]

Instead, they say they're sticking with the one that CNN founder Ted Turner chose two decades ago: objective news.

BWA-HA-HA-HAAAAAA!

Oh man..stop...I'm dyin' here!!!!

This article belongs in the comedy section!

"...objective..." BWA-HA-HA-HAAAAAA!!!!!

(Snort...snuffle...giggle...) No really...what did they REALLY give as an excuse..er expalnation...(snicker)...

[Fausto]

I rememeber when Anderson Cooper was on "Channel One"- my public school's morning indoctrination by television. We had to watch it every morning after we said the pledge of allegiance (yes, we still said it then). It's no surprise that he ended up on CNN.

Good to know I wasn't the only one who had to struggle through Channel One. Here's hoping it still does not exist. I literally lost days off my life by being forced to watch/wait through CH1. Everytime I channel surf by CNN now and Cooper on I've just got to laugh. Anderson is maybe 35 and colors his hair grey to look older! That's about as fake as CNN's *objective news coverage*.

[Right Wing Professor]

Anderson is maybe 35 and colors his hair grey to look older!

Anyone else pick up a certain odd vibe from Anderson? Well, not exactly odd, maybe strange, not that's not the word I'm looking for. Peculiar...? Nah...

[ItsBacon]

Channel One is still around, and it was shown at my high school for the four years I was there (I graduated this past May). Most of the time, though, the teachers didn't force us to watch it, we'd just use it as a short break/study hall and it'd serve as background noise. I did watch it a few times, and it was still mainly commercials and liberally biased "reporting."

[Tall_Texan]

How long until Fox brings Rudi Bakhtiar into the fold?

Yum! That would make my month...

[snooker]

Iceberg ramming speed ... aye captian.

[Tall_Texan]

Seriously, this story needs to come with a laugh track. There are so many unintentional knee-slappers in this report.

CNN will stick to objective news...yeah, like mercury.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I guess they need to shoot up anothe Iraqi guard post. That was the first time I tuned in CNN in over a year. Haven't been back since.

[Tall_Texan]

"Darn! Lost *another* loan to DiTech!"

"Oh, wait! Am I supposed to be doing hard news this hour?"

[Akira]

Instead, they say they're sticking with the one that CNN founder Ted Turner chose two decades ago: objective news

Uhhh...if by "objective" they mean selling integrity for access, then I wholeheartedly agree. What a joke.

[John W]

Another World News Now alum,too big now to have it mentioned in the article as it was about Cooper.

[Tall_Texan]

"I think the show will be successful if it is distinctive and reflective of my voice and sensibilities," says Cooper.

What an ego! He thinks the show is all about him! If it reflects *his* voice and *his* sensibilities, it will be a success....

oooooooh!