
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">FOX News has had an unbroken leadership in cable news for an unprecedented 40 months &#8212; with an occasional exception in previous years. In most past ratings reports, FOX has attracted more viewers than CNN and MSNBC combined – most notably in the all-important 25 to 54 age demographics. In the most recent week, MSNBC attracted 111,000 with CNN drawing a paltry 83,000.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">No matter how hard CNN – calling itself “the most trusted name in news” &#8212; and especially MSNBC tries to discredit FOX as an illegitimate news source, the public shows a remarkable degree of devotion to the more “fair and balanced” Network. While its editorial policy leans right, it provides news in the more journalistic tradition. It provides opportunities for left-wing views to be expressed and debated – and provides the public with a lot of non-political news and features.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">MSNBC has found success by being the most biased network. It loads the daily schedule with left-wing propaganda – literally censoring opposing views. ; It has become the go-to Network for the already persuaded and the gullible. ; It is a spin machine for Democrats with emphasis on the radical left. ; MSNBC has found a constituency, but the Network appears to have reached the limit of its market. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The real story has been the fall of CNN as the leader in cable news. It was the originator of 24/7 news and commentary – initially with an emphasis on traditional news reporting. The introduction and success of MSNBC created a gravitational force that pulled CNN to the left and into a left-wing editorial spin in an effort to compete.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It seemed that CNN’s initial competitive strategy was to become progressive-lite in an attempt to draw from both FOX and MSNBC. If that was their thinking, it was woefully mistaken. ; CNN’s lean to the left, if not total emersion, did no damage to FOX. ; It may have even driven politically moderate viewers to FOX.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It was the competitive failure with MSNBC that sealed CNN’s fate and led to a precipitous drop in viewership. The most recent Nielson report gave CNN its worst rating in prime-time viewers in more than 30 years.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This should come as no surprise in view of the current CNN lineup.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">There was a moment in time when CNN appeared to understand their problem. Why would left-wing Democrat viewers choose progressive-lite when MSNBC was offering them the red meat?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">There was a time when new ownership seemed to see the problem and started moving in the right direction – literally and figuratively. It was when David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros./Discovery Channel, purchased CNN. He placed Chris Licht in charge of programming with the promise to bring CNN back to the center – and to what he called “traditional journalism.”</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This was the era that saw the departure of Chris Cuomo, Don Lemon and Media Critic Brian Stelter, White House Reporter John Harwood among others. ; The hard left morning team of John Berman and Brianna Keilar was replaced – sending both of them to less prominent roles at the Network. ; This was followed by a series of experimental personnel changes in the morning show, featuring Phil Mattingly, Poppy Harlow and – and for a short while, Kaitlan Collins.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But then things changed. ; Licht was canned and the network went on a Hell-bent shift to the left—further than before. ; That culminated in appointing Mark Thompson as the new boss – commissioned to turn around the network’s feeble ratings. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Thompson has made an obvious attempt to reach Black viewers. Not sure how that strategy works but the new lineup makes the decision obvious. The Victor Blackwell morning show is virtually taken up with all-Black content. Abby Phillip, host of “Inside Politics Sunday” was given the anchor position at 10 p.m. She is followed by Laura Coates at 11. Both provide heavy emphasis on Black issues.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Mattingly, Harlow and Collins all disappeared from the morning show – with Harlow exiting CNN altogether. ; Against all logic, Thompson brought back John Berman to co-anchor the morning show.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">CNN attempted to fill the 9 p.m. slot with a catchy named show, “King Charles,” featuring Gail King and Charles Barkley. ; The show failed miserably and was replaced with “The Source” hosted by the ever-acerbic Kaitlan Collins.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It appears that after losing the rating battle to MSNBC in the past, the Network has decided to give that strategy another go. ; Based on the latest rating numbers – which reflect most of the changes noted above &#8212; the strategy is not working any better the second time around.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I suspect that CNN will limp along until they secure a management team that can correctly diagnose their problem and fix it with yet another revamping plan.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I see only three bright spots for CNN. ; Their most interesting and unbiased person in the stable is Michael Smerconish – and they bury him in the 9 a.m. slot on Saturday morning. ;  ;In a previous commentary, I suggested they give him one of the primetime spots. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">CNN could get a bump in the ratings as the campaign goes on. ; The Network tends to do better as the political campaigns become more intense. ; CNN also maintains dominance overseas. ; It is often the only American television news station to appear in a foreign country – and is often seen overseas in airports, restaurants and hotel lobbies.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I do not believe that doubling down on their past failures is going to improve CNN’s ratings. ; Quite the contrary. ; But we are not privy to the internal polls. ; Perhaps Thompson sees something not apparent to us outside observers.  ;But I will still bet on more changes, a new lineup with new faces, in the future – and a new boss at the top – when ratings fail to improve.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">So, there ‘tis.</p>

FOX on top (again) … but CNN is the real story
