Stuart Rothenberg has a great op-ed in today's
roll call about a trend I've been noticing recently about the quality of content over at CNN.
I usually defend CNN through thick and thin, which is why I've been upset about the news, or really lack thereof, on CNN recently. Is it necessary to have nothing but half hour long profiles of Laura Bush and Maria Shriver in the 8 o'clock Paula Zahn slot? And I know Anderson Cooper loves his quirky news, but how long does a piece on getting stuck in a sinking car have to take?
I've never been a big fan of Judy Woodruff, but Inside Politics was one of the better shows on a network that has gotten unbearably fluffy. It takes a lot for me to turn to MSNBC, but I've been doing it with regularity these days because, well, even if I disagree with the opinions of the pundits, at least they're discussing relevant topics, or discussing topics at all.
I wonder what demographics the execs are trying to appeal to? Is there a large market for people who wish to watch the news for an hour in primetime with the hardest news appearing in the ticker at the bottom of the screen?