News
Jeff Zucker Appointed CNN Worldwide President! Will Exit KATIE Shortly!
Photo Credit: Getty Images
After all the rumors and all the hoopla it was confirmed yesterday that Jeff Zucker has officially been appointed CNN Worldwide President. Zucker replaces Jim Walton, who is retiring at the end of 2012.
The Time Warner-owned cable news network suffered from record low ratings in 2012, hitting a 21-year primetime ratings low in the spring. The original 24-hour cable news network fell into a distant third place behind rival MSNBC and cable news leader Fox News. Walton announced his resignation over the summer, saying the network needed new leadership and “new thinking.”
Though Zucker does not begin his post till the end of January, he decided to communicate with the staff directly after the network announcement on Thursday. Zucker is currently the executive producer of Katie Couric’s syndicated daytime talker, Katie, where he will remain through mid-January.
Katie Couric through a statement of her own related, “I’m very excited that Jeff has such a wonderful opportunity at CNN and equally excited for CNN. I’m also grateful that Jeff has been so instrumental in getting our show off to such a strong start and look forward to working with the fantastic staff we’ve assembled and building on the strong foundation we’ve created.”
According to Huffington Post today, Zucker immediately sent out a memo to his new staff writing: “I don’t have all the answers. No one does. But I hope that we can challenge each other to think even more broadly about what CNN is and can be, and to enhance this truly special and powerful brand.” Then, on a phone call with press on Thursday, Zucker said he planned to “remain true to the journalistic values” of CNN, but will also aim to “broaden the definition of what news is.” One way in which the network seems to be “broadening its definition of news” is through its decision to air a wider variety of reality and nonfiction programming.
So what do you think of the appointment of Zucker to head CNN? Does this mean more doom for Katie? Or, could this change at the top actually help her talk show? Weigh-in!
Anyone remember Zucker’s tenure as NBC’s primetime guy? Network freefall!
Katie’s talk show is a bore. Wendy Williams is the true successor when it comes to Oprah’s old crown. Zucker won’t change CNN for the better. Eventually, FOX News will implode, and more people will get their real news from MSNBC than its competitors, because MSNBC is the only one in the bunch with visionary leadership at the moment.
Are you kidding me? MSNBC is a joke! Anyone who takes it seriously is nuts!
Talk shows are boring and all the same. Katie will be cancelled soon, followed by The Spew.
At first glance I thought Katie was exiting, that it was over. I WISH. I’ll never get used to not having AMC at noon, OLTL at 1 & GH at 2 (central time)
I told my mother today, remember when we had soaps from 11-3 every day on every network? Oh, for the days.
During the time when Katie Couric’s contract with NBC was about to expire, I noticed several articles referencing Couric as a possible replacement for the aging Larry King. Seeing this mentioned several times by different writers, I wondered if Couric really wanted that job and was sparking these comments. Clearly, that didn’t happen as Piers Morgan replaced King and Couric became anchor of the CBS Evening News.
Now that Couric is on a daytime talking that is doing okay but not great, Morgan seems to be floundering as King’s replacement with viewers turning him off, and Couric’s old pal Jeff Zucker taking over at CNN, I’d bet $$$ that, within 2 years, we’ll see Couric’s current show gone, Morgan off of CNN, and Couric taking over the King/Morgan timeslot on CNN.
hmmmm. Maybe ABC will grow some balls, realize they screwed up big time- and bring back the only genre in daytime that has longevity- our soaps. How bout it Disney folks? Admit you screwed up, blame it Brian Fronz, and bring back One Life and All My Kids. If they could somehow get GH’s producer/writer to helm all 3 soaps,they’d have double Katie’s anemic ratings.
I totally agree! Wake up ABC!!!
Zucker should run cnn to the ground! That would be great for the planet. one less channel for shilling and editorializing and spreading lies. one less channel for anderson cooper!
I don’t like talk shows. She’s going to flop. Then they can make General Hospital a 2 hour show.
I don’t give flip about exec’s they don’t care about the public when they ask for show’s to stay on. They are greedy and really only give a rat’s ass about their paychecks.
Katie failed because she’s a greedy woman.
Wish him the best, but I was surprised when I first heard it because of the Conan/Leno fiasco, but as CNN is a news channel I realized that he was being hired based upon his past success with the Today show and his background with journalism/news (obviously, not because of his prime time entertainment capacity),so we shall see. The Katie show is disappointing mostly interviewing celebrities. She and the show could be much better. Need better topics and to improve the format. More interactive. Good point that others said maybe she will take over the Piers Morgan show on CNN some day. The problem with CNN now is that they recycle the same news stories over and over again. Each show has similar news topics. You can watch for an hour and that is enough. If they changed the news stories, diversified, spiced
it up you could watch for hours, but now no need to. Zucker has to make that the focus to improve ratings – he has to improve content and be more creative with the format. Think out of the box. These shows have become- common, complacent, lackluster and boring. Off topic- but the Today show has become lame and lackluster as well- they need to spice it up.
All My Children
51st Daytime Emmys: Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa Receive Talk Show Host Nominations
On Thursday, nominations were announced in the Outstanding Talk Show category for the upcoming 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards.
Mark Consuelos (ex-Mateo, All My Children) coming off his first-year as co-host of ‘Live” with real-life wife, Kelly Ripa scored his first Talk Show Host nomination along with Ripa who has been nominated previous times.
Joining Mark and Kelly in the race are: Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, Ana Navarro, The View
Kelly Clarkson, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Akbar Gbajabiamila, Amanda Kloots, Natalie Morales, Jerry O’Connell, Sheryl Underwood, The Talk and
Tamron Hall, Tamron Hall.
Photo: CBS
As previously reported, The Talk is coming to its end when its upcoming 15th and final season ends in December of 2024.
The 51st annual Daytime Emmys are slated to be broadcast and stream live on CBS and Paramount+ on Friday night, June 7th
Look for the full list of nominations to drop on Friday morning at 12 noon ET/9 am PT.
So, are you rooting for Kelly and Mark to win their first Talk Show host award together? Comment below.
Breaking News
51st Daytime Emmys: Outstanding Daytime Drama Series Nominations
On Thursday, the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards revealed nominations in several key categories via four entertainment news programs: Access Hollywood, E! News, Extra and Access Hollywood.
Three of the four announcements were major categories in the field of Daytime Dramas.
The nominees in the Outstanding Daytime Drama Series category are: The Bay, The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of our Lives, General Hospital, Neighbours and The Young and the Restless.
Photo: JPI
General Hospital won this category last year, and has the most all-time wins for a series in this category. For the first time, the beloved Australian-based soap opera, Neighbours is now eligible for competition due to its reboot which streams on Amazon Freevee.
Photo: AmazonFreevee
The 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be handed out in ceremonies in Los Angeles and broadcast live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ on Friday night, June 7th.
Previous categories announced tonight via the entertainment news outlet included: Lead Actor and Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
So, what do you think about this year’s nominee for the Outstanding Daytime Drama Series? Who do you think should win? Comment below.
Breaking News
51st Daytime Emmys: Tamara Braun, Finola Hughes, Katherine Kelly Lang, Annika Noelle, Michelle Stafford, Cynthia Watros Score Lead Actress Nominations
The nominations were revealed for the 51st annual Daytime Emmys. in the prestigious Lead Actress in a Drama Series category by Entertainment Tonight.
This comes ahead of tomorrow’s full list that is set to be unveiled at 12noon/9am PST on Friday.
In the running for this year’s Outstanding Lead Actress are Tamara Braun (Ava, Days of our Lives), Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke, The Bold and the Beautiful), Annika Noelle (Hope, The Bold and the Beautiful), Finola Hughes (Anna, General Hospital), Cynthia Watros (Nina, General Hospital) and Michelle Stafford (Phyllis, The Young and the Restless).
Photo: Getty
Previous winners in this category include GH’s Finola Hughes, Cynthia Watros and Y&R’s Michelle Stafford. Days of our Lives nominee had won in the Supporting Actress category twice in her career.
Earlier, the Lead Actor nominees were revealed and you can find them here.
Make sure to be with us Friday night, April 19th for the Michael Fairman Channel’s 10th annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Special beginning at 5 pm PT where we chat live with some of this year’s nominees.
So, what do you think about this year’s Lead Actress nominees? Comment below.
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51st Daytime Emmys: Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa Receive Talk Show Host Nominations
51st Daytime Emmys: Outstanding Daytime Drama Series Nominations
51st Daytime Emmys: Tamara Braun, Finola Hughes, Katherine Kelly Lang, Annika Noelle, Michelle Stafford, Cynthia Watros Score Lead Actress Nominations
51st Daytime Emmys: Eric Braeden, Scott Clifton, Thorsten Kaye, John McCook and Eric Martsolf Score Lead Actor Nominations
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