CNN & HLN Won’t Be “Complementary”

Jim Walton: “If there is a talk show on Headline News, there will be newscasts on CNN.” –January 13, 2005

Well, that didn’t last long. “Glenn Beck” is a “topical talk show,” and starting May 8, it’s airing at 7 and 9pm, opposite “Larry King Live” in the middle of primetime. The nets won’t be “complementary” much longer.

Yesterday I asked a CNN rep, “Why did CNN decide to abandon this model?” The network has not responded to the question.

Last month, I asked if this move would be “an admission that talk shows are favored over newscasts.” I think the answer is clear, at least in primetime. The CNN News Group has determined that talk shows will make more money for Headline News than actual news.

> March 7: Once Glenn Beck Premieres, Will CNN & HLN Still Be “Complementary?”