Posted on 01/07/2002 3:04:43 PM PST by willieroe
NEW YORK (AP) — Embarrassed CNN executives on Monday yanked an on-air promotion that referred to anchorwoman Paula Zahn as ``sexy,'' accompanied by the sound effect of a zipper.
The 15-second spot promoting Zahn's morning news show aired about a dozen times on CNN Saturday and Sunday, the network said.
In the ad, a narrator asks, ``Where can you find a morning news anchor who's provocative, super-smart (and) oh, yeah, just a little sexy?
``CNN, yeah, CNN,'' the narrator answers.
The words ``provocative,'' ``smart'' and ``sexy'' are flashed on the screen, followed by a picture of Zahn. The zipper is clearly audible just as the narrator is about to call Zahn ``sexy.''
CNN said the advertisement was created and put on the air by its promotions department — by a woman — and not approved by top executives.
Jamie Kellner, chairman of CNN parent Turner Broadcasting, ordered it removed from the air as soon as he saw it, spokesman Brad Turell said.
``It was a major blunder by our promotions department,'' CNN Chairman Walter Isaacson said. ``I was outraged and so was Paula, who has spent more than 20 years proving her credibility day in and day out.''
Zahn said she was offended by the promotion when she saw it.
``CNN management has apologized to me and has assured me that a mistake like this will not happen again,'' she said.
The former CBS News personality was hired to anchor CNN's new morning news show last year from Fox News Channel, where she was host of an evening talk show.
CNN received some criticism last year for hiring former ``NYPD Blue'' actress Andrea Thompson as an anchor for CNN Headline News, then was red-faced when risque pictures of her turned up on the Internet.
Kellner, a former Hollywood-based executive who started the Fox and WB networks, has repeatedly said CNN had to be more aggressive in promoting itself.
``A promotion like that is unrelated to her professional abilities and you can't help but think it's a promotion we would be unlikely to hear about a male anchor,'' said Barbara Cochran, president of the Radio and Television News Directors Association.
Turell characterized the promotion's statement that Zahn is sexy as an error in judgment, ``whether it's true or not.
LOS ANGELES(Reuters) - Executives at CNN had a new mantra Monday: don't call Paula Zahn sexy, don't call Paula Zahn sexy.
A CNN promotional spot touting its new morning newscaster as ``just a little sexy'' was pulled off the air after it was broadcast repeatedly over the weekend in error, CNN officials said.
Red-faced executives said the 15-second ad was the work of an overzealous promotional staff and that ``appropriate steps'' were being taken to ensure future promos are cleared through proper channels.
``It was a major blunder by our promo department,'' CNN Chairman and CEO Walter Isaacson said in a statement. ``The ad was never seen or approved by anyone outside the promo department. I was outraged, and so was Paula Zahn, who has spent more than 20 years proving her credibility day in and day out on the air.''
Zahn, 45, is a 10-year CBS News veteran who joined the Fox News Channel as an evening news anchor in 1999 and moved to rival CNN in September, signing a deal worth roughly $2 million a year to host CNN's morning news show. She first appeared on CNN on Sept. 11 during coverage of the suicide attacks on Washington and New York.
A revamped version of CNN's morning news program, retitled ''American Morning,'' debuted on Monday.
In a CNN promo that aired several times on Saturday and Sunday, a voice-over asks: ``Where can you find a morning news anchor who's provocative, super-smart, oh yeah, and just a little sexy?'' At that point, the music pauses and the voice-over intones the answer: ``CNN, Yeah, CNN.''
Zahn appears in the ad with a shot of her on the set interviewing someone.
The episode occurred amid an intensifying battle for viewers between CNN and Fox News, which last week hired away CNN's longtime legal affairs correspondent and anchor Greta Van Susteren to put her in the 10 p.m. spot formerly occupied by Zahn.
Fox News fired Zahn in September after learning she was in talks to anchor a news program on CNN, then sued her agent, N.S. Bienstock, for breach of contract.
Fox officials were clearly gleeful over the Zahn promo embarrassment. Kevin Magee, Fox News vice president of programming, called the ad a ``sign of desperation.''
``It makes you wonder who's running the place over there,'' he said. ``She's their No. 1 star. It's the big premiere of their big show, and no one watched the promo before it went on. What were all those people doing?''
Reuters/Variety REUTERS
CNN couldn't possibly be talking about their Paula Zahn. That zipper sound is something that they ignored for eight years when reporting about another Paula; Paula Jones.
her hands immediately guiding mine over those soft, slightly oily folds Positioning my fingers on the shiny metal tab, small and round, like a tear Then murmuring a murmur so inaudible that even though I could feel her lips tremble against my ear, she seemed far, far away Pinch it, she said, which I did, lightly, until she also said pull it, which I also did, gently parting the teeth, one at a time, down under and beneath, the longest unzipping of my life...ZZZZZZZZZZZZIP
Sample of lyrics from HEY PRETTY by Poe with Mark Danielewski;
Zipper effect added by CNN
Hey, O'Reilly....top that one tonight!
sw
Paula Zahn was some, dummy at Fox's, fill in choice when Crier left. Crier was quality. Zahn was the blonde bimbo trying to masquerede as a neo-conservative. Actually Zahn was a liberal through and through. Fox caught hell with her from listeners that saw through her from day one. No wonder she finally "went home" to CNN.
Should it suprise anyone that CNN wants to prop her up as T&A. That's all they have.
-PJ
OK. Just stop it. Stop it right now. I Just can't take it any more. I'm traveling, stuck in blue country, and I have NO FOX NEWS CHANNEL. No Cable TV of any sort. It's been like this since the day before Christmas.
It's really unfair to those who are deprived to be describing such funny stuff when we can't see it! I feel so deprived!
sw
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