The channel, aimed at a global audience, will instead show more simulcasts of the main US CNN network, extra repeats of the flagship Christiane Amanpour programme and additional programming produced out of CNN’s Abu Dhabi office, according to staff at the meeting.
Hopefully not the end of CNN Talk, one of the best non-rolling news programmes coming out of the London bureau.
If the article is to be believed, it does seem like the end of CNN Talk:
Quote:
London-based shows such as the discussion programme CNN Talk will be cut completely as the company focuses its British office on its online offering at the expense of its traditional TV channels.
Seems odd, thought they were centralising International output into London? Repeats and bland, generic programming will just sink the operation [further] into irrelevance.
If they want to cut output from London, how about World Sport, a bulletin that could come from anywhere. You don't need a British presenter to read copy generated from the US.
I was in London staying just around the corner from CNN’s current building. So sad to see what has become of a once great network. CNN was always a career goal for me, though I don’t know if it is anymore.
More amazing than anything is that Jeff Zucker still has a job. Clearly, Tony Maddox must have been a strong defender of the network behind the scenes.
Currently London produces:
-2 Newsroom editions (9am& 10am)
-World Sport lunchtime bulletin
-CNN Talk
-Amanpour
-Hala's show
So 4 hours of TV a day. You'd have to assume some of the Newsroom editions are going to be replaced by Amanpour repeats.
The last thing the channel needs too is yet more US simulcasts. There's already 5 hours of simulcasts each day and probably more simulcasts than actual international bulletins on weekends. We already get stuff like Inside Politics and Reliable Sources that has no place on an international news channel. What now - Inside Politics going day, Early Start being simulcast?
Odd they're targetting London too given both Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong are used for one programme a day at present - and often if there's a big Europe story Becky Anderson is shipped back over to London anyway.
More changes as AT&T tries to pay down its ~$180bn debt pile:
SCOOPLET: In a blow to their financial stability, CNN sent a letter to several of the network's freelancers this week, extending their payment terms to Net 90 (payment 90 days after invoice). The change is to "be better aligned with our corporate requirements" per letter