Quote:A comedian could potentially take a prime time spot on CNN, according to a report.

Five people familiar with the matter told Semafor the “news entertainment” personality could take the primetime hours of 9 to 11 p.m. with a nontraditional take on the news.

CNN executives have reportedly mentioned names, including Bill Maher, Trevor Noah, Arsenio Hall, and Jon Stewart, the outlet reported.

“They’re looking for their version of John Oliver,” a television news insider said to Semafor.

One CNN executive said the network has considered turning 9 p.m. to midnight into a series of shows designed similar to a variety program with “shows within shows” for different journalists.

Semafor mentioned a comment made by The Washington Post’s Erik Wemple about the move to put an entertainer in a prime time spot and how that could potentially prove to be an issue.

“Such an experiment could also deliver a programming disaster,” Wemple said.

He added, “Consider a scenario in which said entertainer was on air at the moment that an overseas war broke out, or an earthquake struck, or some statesperson died. Watching the network scramble to switch back into hard-news mode — well, that would surely be entertaining.”

The report comes just more than a month after the network executed layoffs and announced changes to programming.

“The changes we are making today are necessary and will make us stronger and better positioned to place big bets going forward without fear of failure,” the company’s chief executive, Chris Licht, said in a memo at the time.

Additionally, Licht announced the network would no longer “produce live programming for HLN.”

Licht explained CNN would also be shifting the strategy with paid contributors.

“In some areas, we will rely more on our CNN journalists,” Licht said in the memo.

He continued, “Overall, we will engage contributors who are subject-matter experts that expand and diversify the viewpoints we bring our audience.”

Licht said at the time other divisions including U.S. newsgathering, operations, research, creative marketing, and programming were undergoing changes.

Link

CNN is already 24/7 comedy.

Gutfeld kicking their ass.

(01-17-2023 03:08 PM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  CNN is already 24/7 comedy.

Schiff, you beat me to it.

There are too many bad later night "comedy" shows on now.

Seems par for the course for CNN's audience. They already think comedians are a viable news source so it won't be a hard sell.

(01-17-2023 03:18 PM)Eagleaidaholic Wrote:  There are too many bad later night "comedy" shows on now.

I miss Johnny Carson

You're desperate when you're looking at hiring someone like Trevor Noah. Zero chance Maher goes back to cable.

I'm sure CNN's idea of comedy would be a real gut buster too.

Maher gets 1 to 1.5 million on a channel that needs a subscription and has total creative freedom. CNN would have to probably give him FU money.

I think Stewart had their most viral moment when he blasted the Crossfire hosts

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

(01-17-2023 03:42 PM)Redbanksdog Wrote:  

(01-17-2023 03:18 PM)Eagleaidaholic Wrote:  There are too many bad later night "comedy" shows on now.

I miss Johnny Carson

you’re not the only one … the Midwestern Arid pseudo Jew was gold…

Aren’t Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity entertainers? It stopped being about News a long time ago.

CNN is a joke so a comedian would fit right in.

(01-18-2023 12:32 AM)Mr_XcentricK Wrote:  Aren’t Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity entertainers? It stopped being about News a long time ago.

Yes, but not comedians, which is the topic of this thread.

(01-17-2023 02:57 PM)CrimsonPhantom Wrote:  

Quote:A comedian could potentially take a prime time spot on CNN, according to a report.

Five people familiar with the matter told Semafor the “news entertainment” personality could take the primetime hours of 9 to 11 p.m. with a nontraditional take on the news.

CNN executives have reportedly mentioned names, including Bill Maher, Trevor Noah, Arsenio Hall, and Jon Stewart, the outlet reported.

“They’re looking for their version of John Oliver,” a television news insider said to Semafor.

One CNN executive said the network has considered turning 9 p.m. to midnight into a series of shows designed similar to a variety program with “shows within shows” for different journalists.

Semafor mentioned a comment made by The Washington Post’s Erik Wemple about the move to put an entertainer in a prime time spot and how that could potentially prove to be an issue.

“Such an experiment could also deliver a programming disaster,” Wemple said.

He added, “Consider a scenario in which said entertainer was on air at the moment that an overseas war broke out, or an earthquake struck, or some statesperson died. Watching the network scramble to switch back into hard-news mode — well, that would surely be entertaining.”

The report comes just more than a month after the network executed layoffs and announced changes to programming.

“The changes we are making today are necessary and will make us stronger and better positioned to place big bets going forward without fear of failure,” the company’s chief executive, Chris Licht, said in a memo at the time.

Additionally, Licht announced the network would no longer “produce live programming for HLN.”

Licht explained CNN would also be shifting the strategy with paid contributors.

“In some areas, we will rely more on our CNN journalists,” Licht said in the memo.

He continued, “Overall, we will engage contributors who are subject-matter experts that expand and diversify the viewpoints we bring our audience.”

Licht said at the time other divisions including U.S. newsgathering, operations, research, creative marketing, and programming were undergoing changes.

Link

None of those listed is even remotely funny.

Jon Stewart already took his name out of contention when he said when it comes to COVID we need to follow the science since science created it.

(01-18-2023 12:32 AM)Mr_XcentricK Wrote:  Aren’t Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity entertainers? It stopped being about News a long time ago.

Tucker has repeatedly stated he is not a journalist, not in any traditional vein. I can't stand listening to Hannity.

Whoever they pick, should have an easy job writing material because the Republicans are giving the punchline for free. MTG on the Homeland Security Commission? "Santos" got commission seats too? L-O-effing-L.

(01-18-2023 09:04 AM)Kruciff Wrote:  Whoever they pick, should have an easy job writing material because the Republicans are giving the punchline for free. MTG on the Homeland Security Commission? "Santos" got commission seats too? L-O-effing-L.

Or the democrats with Sheila Jackson Lee wanting to make free speech a crime, Joe Biden thinking a locked garage is a secure storage facility for classified documents, or maybe John Kerry telling us how climate change can be averted with money while flying there in his private jet.

(01-18-2023 09:08 AM)bearcat65 Wrote:  

(01-18-2023 09:04 AM)Kruciff Wrote:  Whoever they pick, should have an easy job writing material because the Republicans are giving the punchline for free. MTG on the Homeland Security Commission? "Santos" got commission seats too? L-O-effing-L.

Or the democrats with Sheila Jackson Lee wanting to make free speech a crime, Joe Biden thinking a locked garage is a secure storage facility for classified documents, or maybe John Kerry telling us how climate change can be averted with money while flying there in his private jet.

Or Hank Johnson worried about Guam tipping over or someone planting classified documents in Biden's home... Pete Buttigieg that is the Secretary of Transportation but doesn't want to take blame when the transportation infrastructure fails...