“Ratings Will Inexorably Follow” CNN’s Improvements, Klein Believes

TV writers are so impatient. They always want to know: When will CNN beat Fox News in the ratings war? And CNN/U.S. president Jon Klein always has to slow them down.

“This going to be a process. This is not something that is going to be, ‘Flip a light switch and CNN is the No. 1 network in all of cable,'” Klein says in a Q&A with Multichannel News.

“I’ve been in the job almost a year. Only now have we put our flags in the ground and said, ‘OK, the place we’re going to build is here. We’re going to build around Anderson Cooper 360 and we’re going to build around The Situation Room.’

You work at making one show the best in its category and you will begin the process of redefining your network, attracting more and better ideas, more commitment from both inside and out. Ratings will inexorably follow.”

But when?! We’re impatient, remember?

“It’s hard to pick a number [of years] out of your hat,” Klein continues. “We attract more viewers than any other network does. Our cume is higher than any other networks. Our viewers don’t stay as long. We need to get them to stay longer. More substantive programming that’s worth watching longer will get them to stay longer. Better packaging, more energy, delivering a better experience that’s more interesting to watch, will get people to watch longer.”