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NEWS > BUSINESS > CNN CONSIDERING TRANSITIONING TO CABLE ACCESS
CNN CONSIDERS TRANSITIONING TO CABLE ACCESS
December 8 2009
Atlanta, GA – When CNN first came on the scene it was a mixture of revelation and revolution. The unique nature of 24-hour news in 1980 may seem an odd thing for current generations which are inundated with information at almost every turn but 
when it first burst on the scene, CNN was a game changer of tremendous proportions. Some saw the network as the death of responsible journalism while others lauded the availability of news whenever it occurred as the way things always should have been. Whatever people’s opinion at the time it was clear that things were never going to be the same.
Now, with virtually every news broadcaster running 24-hours and the web making instant news a standard, CNN should be reaping the rewards of their pioneering efforts. Unfortunately for the network that just isn’t the case. With ratings plummeting on an almost daily basis and the relevance of the once primary source of news being marginalized, the old dog is starting to show its age. With upstarts such as MSNBC, Fox News, and even sister company Headline News now outshining the company executives are starting to feel the pinch. Now they are considering a move that many would have thought unimaginable just a few years ago as they consider moving from a national news network to simply providing news on local cable access stations.
“It’s something they are more than just considering; it’s something that is really just a matter of when, not if. The ratings are in the basement and no matter what they do they just keep dropping. That’s making the station a drag on the Time Warner which still values the CNN brand, but they have started to realize that things are just not going to get better,” said an insider who preferred not to be named. “By moving to local programming they will be able to gain access to a different audience and dedicated dollars. Those stations have money allocated to them and aren’t dependent on things like advertising. That will allow the network to make plans well in advance rather than just week to week which is what they are doing now. Most people at TW see it as the only option to save the network.”
It’s likely that many of the smaller names will stay with the company but that high profile talent such as Anderson Cooper and Campbell Brown will be let go to save some money.
“Cable access has been frowned upon for many years and quite rightly. Low production values, mediocre talent, and not much else has not done much to impress the masses. In many ways stations like CNN have helped to marginalize those stations even further but now they may end up being their saviour,” said Scrape TV Media analyst Sarah Piper. “The local stations want this as bad as Time Warner, I can guarantee that. Yes, many of the local broadcasting talent will be put out of work if this goes through but having such a high profile brand on their channel will bring more money into the stations and help them put on fresh programming.”
The network has reportedly already contacted Cable 24 in Atlanta to experiment with the new programming schedule.
“Obviously networks like Fox will scoff at CNN which has already become more or less a joke but if it’s successful the network will be in the homes of every single American which no other network can lay claim to. That, ultimately, will be their biggest win,” continued Piper. “Of course that’s not what Ted Turner dreamt of when he founded the network but that is the reality of the market as it is today. Ultimately they can’t be beholden to wishes of their creators forever and they have to do what’s right for their people and cable access may be just that.”
The network has already begun purchasing new cameras which will replicate the feel that cable access viewers have come to expect.
William Ashford, Business Correspondent
NEWS > BUSINESS > CNN CONSIDERING TRANSITIONING TO CABLE ACCESS
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