CNN is reportedly in talks with one of the most candid and brutally honest television personalities remaining on air in an effort to revive their failing brand and primetime lineup.
Charles Barkley disclosed to the New York Post that he had been approached about partnering up with long-time CBS Morning News co-host Gayle King, though few other details emerged at the time of their initial reporting. Barkely suggested it might not even be a once-a-week format.
And Barkley admitted there’s not a lot to go off right now. “We don’t have anything set in stone. I’m only considering it because of my respect for Gayle,” the former NBA star shared.
However, Barkley really ratcheted up the rhetoric when he continued discussing the prospects of a CNN show by getting in an awesome backhanded comment.
“I just want to help the company because obviously it is a sh*t show right now,” Barkley reportedly said. “Anything I can do to help,” he said of CNN’s cratering ratings and viewership.
Barkley’s recruitment comes at a time when new ownership and leadership is drastically overhauling the corrupt and rotten legacy best known for its rampant anti-Trump coverage and slew of television hosts with little observable talent but plenty of opinions. Among the firesale since CNN exchanged hands were the firings of Jeffrey Toobin, Brian Stelter, Chris Cuomo, and a range of other mediocre talent. Don Lemon was famously demoted and appears to be handling that ego bruising about as well as expected.
New CEO Chris Licht has made it clear that he wants to resurrect the recognition of CNN as a leading source of real news, not just fake Trump derangement spin. Licht told the Los Angeles Times that he would be casting “a wide net to help broaden the appeal of our prime time.”
He continued, saying that CNN was in “conversations with culturally relevant individuals from the worlds of entertainment, sports and comedy who can bring fresh and unique perspectives to the news.”
If Licht is serious, Barkley would certainly represent the broader appeal approach. While people may find disagreement with some of his politics, Barkley’s mass appeal is his ability and fearlessness to cut through a lot of political correctness and speak to the truths of an issue. That alone would be a departure from CNN’s operations.
Still, if Licht is serious about appealing to a wide audience, it hardly seems like pairing Barkley and King would achieve that result. Neither is a known conservative. What’s more, despite the fact that good ideas can come from anyone, the move certainly seems like a conscious diversity push by focusing so much on race.
Right or wrong, the woke left has overplayed their hand at this point and these decisions cannot be seen outside of the idea of representation and inclusion.
Licht would do well to bring in real, and well-known, conservatives if he truly wants to win approval from a larger audience. That, or actually present the news in an unbiased way, but that seems way less likely at this point.
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