CNN boots Aaron Brown

[donsu]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/02/business/media/02cnd-cnn.html?emc=eta1


CNN Ousts Aaron Brown and Gives Slot to Anderson Cooper

CNN ousted its longtime prime-time anchor, Aaron Brown, today in favor of Anderson Cooper, who has received extensive media attention in the wake of his widely publicized coverage of Hurricane Katrina.

Jonathan Klein, the president of CNN/U.S., said today that he and Mr. Brown had mutually agreed that Mr. Brown would leave the cable news network because the new CNN lineup left "no options" for a program that would include Mr. Brown. "It is, unfortunately, a zero-sum game," Mr. Klein said.

-snip-

Mr. Klein also complimented Mr. Brown, who is 56, saying "he is a first-class news talent, no question." But he repeated that CNN simply had no program to offer Mr. Brown.

Mr. Brown did not respond to telephone calls and e-mails requesting comment. A CNN spokeswoman said Mr. Cooper was on vacation and unavailable for comment.
-------------------------------


it also seemed like Brown took a pleasant pill before going on air.

[MrModerate]

1. It's all showbiz

Brown was pretty bland in a business where blandness is death.

[Chipper Chat]

3. Silly Aaron.

All he needed to do was to scrape his throat with a rasp file so he could sound just like Rita Cosby.

[gatorboy]

19. No kidding!

She's considered a journalist? Bah!

[kick-ass-bob]

2. Aaron Brown was too professional for them.

Anderson Cooper "140 mph - isn't that the strongest winds we've ever seen?"
Other person: "Uh, no - Katrina was stronger"

Wasn't he in the middle of the fucking thing? One taste of a hurricane, and now he is the hurricane drama queen.

:eyes:

[Christa]

4. Anderson Cooper - what a ninny

:hurts:

[lonestarnot]

17. NOT!

[Stand and Fight]

6. Hogwash!

Aaron Brown is a pompous jack-ass. It's a good thing to see him get the boot. Anderson Cooper should have had his slot a long time ago.

[girl gone mad]

7. Agreed.

Anderson is more watchable and more personable. Mr. Brown radiates arrogance.

[goclark]

11. That is my take on it too

My opinion turned on him when I kept hearing Larry King say Brown was the best journalist in the business.

[Ksec]

12. well he is Gloria Vanderbilts son.

Gotta give him credit for good lines.

[mwooldri]

5. Well, Al Jazeera's hiring...

I don't know if they've finalized their lineup for their Washington bureau, but if Sir David Frost is joining Al Jazeera then maybe Aaron Brown needs to take a look.

Either that or see if BBC World is hiring.

Mark.

[MissMarple]

8. They needed more time for Leslie,and had to get it from Anderson or Aaron.

Why don't they do us all a favor and just get rid of Leslie. I am tired of his lying spinathon. CNN had better realize sooner rather than later that blowback from Leslie's spin and his love of the neocons could be a very bad thing.

[Sentio Fidens]

9. What I would have liked

I didn't mind Aaron Brown. He was ok sometimes. What I REALLY would
have liked is if they got rid of that god awful Blitzer. Gave Cafferty his own hour or so show then they would have been room for Aaron and Anderson.

That would have been best in my opinion

[Nothing Without Hope]

15. Yes, Cafferty is so superior to The Beard in every single way.

I wish they would drop Blitz into a back office where he can annoy fewer people and put Jack Cafferty out there. He's not only an actual human being, he says interesting things.

[Stand and Fight]

10. Goodbye Brown. He sucked ass anyhow. n/t

[devilgrrl]

13. Yeah he did!

I blew him off after his obnoxious interview with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now. What a dick!

[artv28]

14. ratings

He is bland and has a bad toupee but he was better than the other options in the 10pm east coast time slot. Cooper without a doubt will do better than Brown against the same competition. In the Northeast Brown's ratings were close to Greta. In Southeast markets where presumably more freepers live a huge advantage goes to Greta. Ironically, even freepers don't tune in to Scarborough's hour of idiocy.

NY
CNN/NY NEWSNIGHT W/ A 0.9
FXNC/NY ON THE RECORD 1.1
MNBC/NY SCARBOROUGH CO 0.3

Savannah
CNN/SAV NEWSNIGHT W/ A 0.5
FXNC/SAV ON THE RECORD 2.7
MNBC/SAV SCARBOROUGH CO 0.4

Greenville, Asheville, Spartanburg
CNN/GVS NEWSNIGHT W/ A 0.8
FXNC/GVS ON THE RECORD 1.8
MNBC/GVS SCARBOROUGH CO 0.1

[gatorboy]

21. Didn't Greta Van Susteren from "On the Record" go under the knife

after she was hired by Fox?

Not saying that there's anything wrong with that. I just find it odd that she would make this decision after being hired by the most image conscious of the news channels.

[Oeditpus Rex]

16. He's 'a first-class news talent'

and CNN doesn't have a place for him.

What does that tell you about the state of the electronic media?

[butterfly77]

18. They need to get rid of ...

Wolfe Blitzer's ugly ass!

[in_cog_ni_to]

20. Yeah, heaven forbid we get our news with NO COMMENTARY.

:grr: