CNN cancels John King’s show
Lasting just over two years, CNN’s “John King USA” has been axed.
King never really pulled in particularly good ratings at 7 p.m., then 6 p.m., falling behind Fox News and MSNBC. CNN is putting him back in the field as the network’s national campaign correspondent.
Wolf Blitzer’s “Situation Room” will get an extra hour and will now air from 4 to 7 p.m.
The general consensus among viewers was he lacked distinction.
This is what Bob Furnad, a former president of CNN, thought in 2010: “John’s a fine journalist but he doesn’t stick to the wall,” he said. “He’s not memorable… They need appointment TV.”
CNN’s prime-time ratings in May, a rather quiet news month, were the worst in at least 20 years.
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By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk
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56 comments Add your comment
JTesla, so call me maybe
June 13th, 2012
2:36 pm
Wolf Blitzer is taking over the world! He’ll see to it that looking like Chaka from Land of the Lost will soon be hip.
BarryATL
June 13th, 2012
2:46 pm
Wolf is absolutely the worst. His delivery, his over simplistic and mentally insulting questions. Worst of all is the way he talks. I just cannot stand him.
Sorry, but Wolf is one of the few broadcasters that just just grates on my nerves.
Bring Back Ted!
June 13th, 2012
3:01 pm
CNN should cancel ALL of its programming and start over.
Vining Dawg
June 13th, 2012
3:13 pm
The problem with CNN is that you know what they are going to say before they say it. So what border watching. What CNN need to do is have a Conservative Host in the line up for Two Hours, that would help them. When you know you will eat the same thing everyday, do you get excited or make excuses for why you don’t show up sometimes lol
Andy
June 13th, 2012
3:22 pm
Does anyone watch CNN anymore? They don’t according to the ratings.
Get with the program
June 13th, 2012
3:27 pm
Just like dinosaurs and the dodo bird, straight white american male democrats are becoming scarce, rare, and soon to be extinct. Come to light John King…come to the Light. Ted Turner is gone….CNN is dang near dead.
Gary
June 13th, 2012
3:30 pm
I just hope that brittish git Piers Morgan is next. Can there be anyone with less charisma on tv? He was obnoxious on America’s Got Talent and even more obnoxious now. Go back to reporting for grocery store rags.
Jay
June 13th, 2012
3:31 pm
They need better graphics and more upbeat set/music…..They also need to replace Piers Morgan!!!
JF McNamara
June 13th, 2012
3:32 pm
@Vining Dawg,
That makes no sense. You already know what a Republican would say, so why bother watching? Same logic, right?
People like news that makes them scared and angry. That’s why murders and crime do so well on local news. That’s why Fox News is constantly concocting Obama plots and projecting doom and gloom in the economy and getting reasonable ratings. When studies indicate that the people watching Fox are less informed than people who watch nothing, it’s evident that news isn’t really what they are focused on.
CNN does reasonable journalism. It’s why they are respected, but also why they don’t rate well. It’s neutral and truthful.
Shelley
June 13th, 2012
3:39 pm
They should have replaced Piers Morgan first. He is the WORST!!! I haven’t watched CNN at 9o’clock since Larry signed off. I thought there couldn’t be anyone worse than Larry but CNN proved me wrong with Piers.
MSNBC is No. 1
June 13th, 2012
4:01 pm
John King lost his CREDIBILITY when he let Newt Gingrich DISRESPECT him in front of MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.
He stood there like an IDIOT and TOOK it.
TW
June 13th, 2012
4:09 pm
@JFMcNamara – “When studies indicate that the people watching Fox are less informed than people who watch nothing” Do tell…which studies are you referring to here? I’m in the media demographics business and I’m not aware of this research but would love to know where I can find it.
Chief Manyhahas
June 13th, 2012
4:15 pm
“That’s why Fox News is constantly concocting Obama plots…”
Oh really? Name them.
Chief Manyhahas
June 13th, 2012
4:16 pm
MSNBC is No. 1
RFLMAO!!!!! Funniest post in months!!!!
Go Dawgs!
June 13th, 2012
4:18 pm
To be fair, the only memorable thing Bob Fernad has done was sticking a bag of dog feces into a neighbor’s mailbox. Should John King have gone door to door with an ill shih tzu to try to be less bland?
WHAT THE??????
June 13th, 2012
4:20 pm
“CNN does reasonable journalism. It’s why they are respected, but also why they don’t rate well. It’s neutral and truthful”
This is a joke, right?
Ken
June 13th, 2012
4:24 pm
CNN portrays itself as middle of the road between MSNBC and Fox. Which is laughable because they are way to the left. What they should do is give a mix of both points of view on their shows. Alternate left leaning, right leaning and see if that works. What they are doing now, of having a majority of the left leaning hosts and guest analysts isn’t working and advertisers aren’t buying.
El Mongol
June 13th, 2012
4:26 pm
Mornin Sunshine – CNN has officially jumped the shark.
Chris Matthews
June 13th, 2012
4:29 pm
I just don’t get any kind of feelin runnin up and down my leg with John King.
Gary
June 13th, 2012
4:32 pm
If they were true journalists, you wouldn’t be able to tell what their personal beliefs were, liberal or conservative. I don’t need anyone to interpret the news for me, just tell me the facts, please. I’ll figure out what I think about it just fine on my own.
Rachel Madcow
June 13th, 2012
4:37 pm
The problem is….EVERYONE is a right wing extremist except for Nancy Pelosi and I.
Emmanuel Hall
June 13th, 2012
4:41 pm
There is far too much Wolf on CNN. The “Power structure” at CNN just don’t appear to get it! And unless they change the leadership at the top, that once “Go to” cable news network may soon become just a memory, and that would be a shame.
CNN Loyalist
June 13th, 2012
4:43 pm
Isn’t the former CNN chief quoted in the article the man who put poop in his neighbor’s mailbox? Was that the best source for your article?
El Mongol
June 13th, 2012
4:58 pm
Did anyone see Wolf Blitzer on Jeopardy? The guy is an idiot.
Jeff Dinges
June 13th, 2012
4:59 pm
It’s based in Atlanta, no wonder it sucks.
Schlep
June 13th, 2012
5:34 pm
It would be nice to have a station that actually is moderate. NBC, CBS, ABC are all left of center and Fox is obviously right of center. Why do these news readers have to toe the line one way or the other. CNN would have to get rid of many of their news readers and commentators, but it would be refreshing to have reporting without the slant one way or the other and ratings would follow.
Jane
June 13th, 2012
5:39 pm
I actually liked his show, and he’s definitely easy on the eyes.
Ryley Sell-Smith
June 13th, 2012
5:42 pm
They need to cancel Erin Burnett as well…her show is so boring.
MyPatootie
June 13th, 2012
6:05 pm
“BarryAtl”, you and me both. I would rather watch wallpaper curl up on the wall on a hot and humid day. My second choice would be to watch paint dry, then third would be Blitz Wolfer.
MyPatootie
June 13th, 2012
6:12 pm
“Jane” Been without a man way too long, huh?
godoggo
June 13th, 2012
6:14 pm
I’ve always thought that Wolf would be a Great “Preperation H” spokesperson…….he seems like he’s trying to push something out all the time in his delivery……….and Yes, Pierce should go…..and John is Great in the field.
Bring back Bobbi Battista, Susan Lisoviczi, and Sasha Foo : ) Yeah Come-on
John KIng
June 13th, 2012
6:26 pm
On the bright side, my ratings were so low I’m being seriously looked at by WGST.
chc4
June 13th, 2012
6:31 pm
CNN’s political team is so bad. Hmm, let’s have Paul Begala, Donna Brazille, Roland Martin and James Carville. Oh and we’ll throw in Bill Bennett as a token non-Obama nut hugger. It’s so painfully bad.
Hetch Hetchy
June 13th, 2012
7:03 pm
I’d like to see King take Hemmer’s place at Fox. Give Hemmer a game show somewhere.
John
June 13th, 2012
7:07 pm
@TW
Here you go:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/21/fox-news-viewers-less-informed-people-fairleigh-dickinson_n_1106305.html
BTW, the “media demographics business” sounds made up.
Ol' Timer
June 13th, 2012
7:10 pm
I just want someone to read the freakin’ news. I’ll add my own commentary.
I don’t need to be told what to think and have the interpretation as some of my conservative friends enjoy and crave. Hannity, O’ Reilley, Rush etc. are prone to preach their gospel and that chaps my posterior/
A visual newspaper is what we need, not cult personalities who want us to think they have a franchise on truth.
mks
June 13th, 2012
7:11 pm
I use to like Wolf Blitzer but he has turned into a HUGE democrat. He was what I use to like about CNN… Also, he seemed partisan in the GOP debates. He didn’t like Newt, which was obvious… He use to be my favorite :/
mks
June 13th, 2012
7:13 pm
“John King lost his CREDIBILITY when he let Newt Gingrich DISRESPECT him in front of MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.”
Look, the stupod question that King asked in the debate was probably at the request of Wolf. I like John King. He’s probably my favorite CNN person.
Wes
June 13th, 2012
7:17 pm
Pretty sad when anything on MSNBC (the trashy liberal network) can beat out your show.
bob
June 13th, 2012
7:18 pm
CNN is like left wing talk radio, history.
Bubba
June 13th, 2012
7:18 pm
F L A S H…………Case Anthony found not guilty!…………….Free George Zimmerman…………Radio is the only outlet you get news………
Jimmy
June 13th, 2012
7:20 pm
John King was not all that bad.Piers Morgan is far worse. If you really want to see bad watch the lesbian lady on MSNBC,Rachel Maddow is her name I think.Now that is the absolute worse news anchor ever.She is more of a female Jerry Springer than a news person.
squirrelly McCheesy Pon Pon Poin
June 13th, 2012
7:20 pm
Ah you little Liberal nancies with your panties in a bunch…bless your little malfunctioning malodorous hearts. CNN is horrid and no one with any sense would watch it. It reminds me of the TV news shows that were in the Dawn of the Dead movies. When I become king the first thing I will do is put all NPR stations and band frequencies up for sale to the highest bidder. Then I would remove every journalist credential from any current “journalist”……you’ll learn more when you write my name in during the November elections.
Batterycap
June 13th, 2012
7:20 pm
Note to CNN – one more network filled with cartoons would in fact be a better use of the airspace. Come on – listen to your inner capitalist. Maximize profit!
Bubba
June 13th, 2012
7:23 pm
I think they should have more of al sharpton /remember dodogate tawana brawley/, and nancy grace naw not really!
Braveschipper
June 13th, 2012
7:31 pm
Who even watches mainstream media anymore? The only thing news worthy I remotely will recommend is PBS (even though I don’t watch it, everything else sucks). But the only news I watch is Amy Goodman Democracy Now! People watch that instead of the sensationalism news we have on now.
Guy Turner
June 13th, 2012
7:46 pm
CNN needs to focus on reporting what’s happening in the world, instead of trying to change it. ..You boring to me!
Hetch Hetchy
June 13th, 2012
7:51 pm
Al Jazeera English live stream is actually pretty good. Lots of news not covered in the US.
k.mike makonnen
June 13th, 2012
7:51 pm
Now he is unmployed just like us, cnn need to get rid of the rest, they are not any better than him.
But I like john, I like the way he explain about the election very simple for those dumb and brain dead ass people who can even know the differences, maybe he pissed somebody off,,,,either way thats the american way. sometimes things happen for reason and he got a good future.
k.mike makonnen
June 13th, 2012
8:10 pm
Enter your comments here
Lenita Wesson
June 13th, 2012
8:56 pm
How can you make an appointment with CNN when you have NO IDEA who’s on first (so to speak). There is always someone filling in for the fill in AND this is from someone who is a liberal nannie who tunes in to them regularly. They need to settle on a line up and let it go. They also could up the ante a bit with more of a middle stance or with some more character I suppose. I hate to see John be demoted, especially considering Wolf Blitzer’s additional hour is just going to be recycled news somehow. John was dating Dana Bash, also a CNN correspondent so I’m sure she’s upset with the bosses!
Kip Km
June 13th, 2012
9:11 pm
I cannot stand Wolf Blitzer. CNN used to be my source of news. Ever since Wolf has joined CNN, I have looked for other places for news.
I just don’t understand why has CNN changed to hiring these morons (Wolf & King)
cnn watcher
June 13th, 2012
9:13 pm
BOB FURNAD sez “doesnt stick to the wall”. well, not like dog poop anyway.
Atlanta Thrashers Fan
June 14th, 2012
12:49 am
CNN:
The “Atlanta Spirit Group” of Competent, Unbiased News Gathering & Reporting
ohthehuhannity
June 14th, 2012
8:08 am
As long as morons exist Fox news will have its audience.
Little Bo Peep
June 14th, 2012
12:09 pm
I used to watch CNN all the time….
….until I went to college, become a more analytical thinker, got my head out of my arse and stopped being a mindless, uninquisitive sheep.