Big changes at CNN where heads are being added and rolled in what actually is typical staff juggling in the broadcast biz.
It can be hyped up as more than that but it’s not unusual for new network managers to come in and put in a new team and change the schedule around. And that’s what the latest news about news network CNN is as it tries to shore itself up in its battle against the ascendent Fox News. The Washington Post’s Lisa de Moraes reports:
Rick Squarejaw is heading to the Land of Pursuing Opportunities Elsewhere and Miles O’Brien will replace him as co-anchor of CNN’s ayem show “American Morning,” joining Soledad O’Brien for a three-hour, all-O’Brien weekday block on the cable news network.
It makes you wonder: would the new team be as “high-concept” in terms of marketability if Miles O’Brien’s last name was Schmidlap?
MORE:
Squarejaw, aka Bill Hemmer, is bowing out of the network he’s called home for a decade on June 17. He does so after turning down the opportunity to become CNN’s senior White House correspondent.
That still would have been a nice way to be kicked upstairs, if that’s what it was. It could have actually been an interesting opportunity for Hemmer one that would be a classic “chance for growth” job. AND:
Jack Cafferty, resident Angry Old White Man, also is leaving “American Morning.”
He’s being shipped over to CNN’s new 3 p.m. show, where he will join Happy, Dopey and Grumpy — otherwise known as former “Crossfire” banterers Paul Begala, James Carville and Robert Novak — along with a slew of political analysts, a former terrorism adviser to President George W., a former defense secretary, a former Homeland Security inspector general, an ex-acting director of the CIA and a sprinkling of generals, for a fun-filled three hours anchored by Wolf “Look, the Paint — It’s Drying!” Blitzer.
Hemmer’s keeping a low profile, which is understandable given that his contract runs a few more months but CNN has given him the go-ahead to talk to other news outlets about possible employment.
So yesterday all he had to say about the change was the following statement: “I have enjoyed working with CNN for the past 10 years and the opportunity to report on countless historical moments has been wonderful. However, at this point in my career, it’s time for me to move forward with a new set of challenges.”
That’s pretty much a pro-forma statement ripped out of p.r. textbook. A “statement” is different from an interview quote, by the way. It is invariably formula. AND THEN:
In mid-May, when reports of the possible anchor switch hit the Internet, Hemmer was much more chatty, telling The Post’s Howard Kurtz, “So CNN leaked word; that’s the tactic they’ve chosen” and adding, “It’s no secret that other outlets have expressed interest in me” and “CNN has offered me a position at the White House, a good position by many estimations, but I am weighing my options. . . . What does CNN have for me to continue doing there?”
In retrospect, that candid comment may be seen as (a)a smart bargaining chip to increase pressure on CNN to keep him where he was, (b)a bad move because it went public and could have actually reduced chances for management to offer Hemmer more choices since it boxed them into the kind of corner that could set a bad precedent if they gave him what he wanted (other staffers could use the same technique).
Also keep in mind that if you go back and check various CNN reshufflings throughout the years, Hemmer himself was a survivor of one change a few years ago, when CNN seemed to opt for younger on-air talent by letting older on-air’s talent move on, partially via not renewing some older newspeoples’ contracts.
How does CNN explain the current changes?
Yesterday, CNN/U.S. President Jonathan Klein insisted the network did not leak the report.
“We would never have done that. We denigrate that as a tactic,” he said, adding, “Certainly in this case it wouldn’t have served any purpose.”
The decision to replace Hemmer with O’Brien — Miles that is — was one of “chemistry,” Klein explained.
O’Brien’s got it; Hemmer, it seems, did not.
“What’s vital in the morning is chemistry between anchors,” Klein told The TV Column. “Watching Miles handle ‘Live From,’ where he was paired with a smart, vibrant, fun, female anchor” — Kyra Phillips — “and seeing how generous he was in sharing the spotlight and supporting and helping the co-anchor to shine; to me he’s the perfect complement to Soledad, who is smart, vibrant, fun . . . and the mother of four.”
This isn’t an outrageous comment, at all. Who is CNN competing with? Yes, Fox. But also Today and Good Morning America.
The Post goes into some other changes at CNN, and explanations for some of the other moves. But the BOTTOM LINE IS: chemistry and image do MATTER in television news. Networks always strive for that certain something.
Walter Cronkite had it. Dan Rather didn’t.
Katie Couric and Matt Lauer had it on Today…but now they’re facing a stiff challenge in the ratings as viewers warm up to the chemistry that has developed between ABC’s Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer.
People may forget, but when CNN lost its older talent some years ago and opted for younger on-the-air news staff, there were a few zingers aimed Hemmer’s way about his boyish looks, suggesting he was all face and jaw. However, in the end, he proved solid, although he never achieved the status of a Bernard Shaw.
Networks are always looking for chemistry…whether it’s between on-the-air-talent — or that elusive chemistry between viewers and a commentator, newsperson or performer.
Hemmer may have outgrown his original function. And he may find that an offer to cover the White House as senior correspondent would be a lot better than some other opportunities out there — since all networks and news organizations are scrambling to capture that elusive something that they usually don’t want to admit realistically drives many of their high-stakes programming decisions. So, in the end, Hemmer may find that he’s odd man out in terms of his anchor career goals.
Maybe he should change his last name to O’Brien and re-apply…
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.