The New CNN and Who Replaces Cuomo

Will CNN Become the FOX of the left?

There has been much debate about who will replace Chris Cuomo on CNN at a time when the network is about to have new owners again. Discovery - owned primarily by media mogul John Malone, is taking over from AT&T. The new company will be headed by CEO David Zaslav another career media savvy entrepreneur. I know little about these men but they face many challenges

Chris was one of the top guys at the network and will be hard to replace. He was brash - some might say aggressively so, opinionated and well spoken. This is ideal for his type of show. I am enjoying the current strategy of slating a variety of talented guest spokespeople in the cherished 9:00 pm slot. I have been impressed by Michael Smerconish; Laura Coates; and Brianna Keilar to date.

Articles I read pointed out that morning audiences are a lot different than evening ones. Perhaps their states of mind change throughout the day - lighter stuff in the morning. Brianna for example was not doing well in the morning slot but she has been refreshing as a stand-in for Cuomo. CNN has a large cast of talented personalities who could do the job including their regular guest speakers and analysts.

Apparently the decision will be on hold until the new owners weigh in. This makes good sense. Some big picture decisions remain.

Should they give the nod to a woman? Almost any of the existing prominent CNN females could do a great job. Should there be another person of colour in the slot or both - like Laura Coates. So far the indications are that the new owners want to preserve the CNN image of high integrity news - not the entertaining but often blatantly false and fake diatribes posing as news on FOX among others.

I watch CNN a lot throughout the day and evening and have criticized some of the following areas in the past. How about changing:

- Cutting guests off for giving views that are too right and not what the CNN bosses or sponsors want to hear. Most CNN people are guilty of this - Chris was notorious for it. If you invited them let them finish their point.
- Repetition of the same old stuff over and over. Different viewers won't be able to watch until later in the day but knock off the continual "Breaking News". It might be breaking when it is first broadcast but after that it is just today's news. Things happen 24/7 so there are lots of opportunities for each time slot to "break" some news.
- Not giving credit to the Republicans and other networks if they are correct about something. Keep your leftist views but report rightist views as well without making out anyone who supports them to be crazy. Your own viewers know where you stand overall. Give them credit for having the grey matter we know some FOX fans lack!
- Don't choose Don Lemon to replace Cuomo. He is better where he is - then we can choose to retire or listen to his often maudlin melodrama. Personally I am tired of it.  Lemon is in my opinion over-rated and very predictable. His show has become a soap opera.

All networks face the same big problem as politicians the world over. The majority of TV viewers don't want to have to think - they just want entertainment. For example this is what drives the huge advertising dollars for sport. When they vote - same thing. They vote on last minute emotion and a candidate's charisma and appearance. It is sad but true.

So CNN and other legitimate media companies can still serve a useful purpose. For a democracy to work, the truth must be available to the people who actually think before they vote. There will always be liar networks and liar leaders. People who don't want to think or are incapable of it will occasionally elect liars and cheaters from both sides of the aisle. My hope is that when a thinking electorate gets the facts and elects a thinking leader, the chances of them making good decisions which benefit everyone are better than the alternative. In the long run the average person will experience these benefits.

In summary to Donald and co.: "You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time."

If I'm wrong, America is toast.

#thebrewsterblock