The New York Observer’s Felix Gillette writes about CNN’s deep pockets — the CNN Grills, the “Magic Wall,” the not-really-holograms, etc. etc.
And when you bring in an estimated $1.1 billion in revenue, you can afford to innovate. CNN/U.S. president Jon Klein tells Gillette, “We can afford more people on our air and off our air. So, goddamn it, we’re going to have more people.”
CNN broke records on election night on TV and on the Web. But the network is still ranked #2 behind Fox News, where it has been for nearly eight years. And MSNBC continues to creep up on CNN where it counts, in prime time.
CNN will always have the distinction of being the first news channel on the air, it has the well-oiled Turner Broadcasting Sales machine looking out for its interests and its continues to innovate in ways the other networks can’t or don’t. But if it only gives them big returns on singular nights, you have to wonder if it’s money well spent.