BREAKING - Jeff Zucker In Talks To Be New President of CNN

The former President and CEO of NBC Universal and former EP of NBC Today is in talks to be the president of Time Warner's CNN Worldwide. Good move or bad move?

What harm could he do? The network can't possibly be as bad as it is now. So long, Anderson.
They need to bring back Ted Turner. He might be old but he knows WTF he's doing. It's really ashame that such a great opportunity was blown to have a genuine news network with real news. CNN is complete garbage now unless there's some major news and they aren't as good as they used to be at that either. Fine Let Zucker try. WTF not.
What R1 said, the only direction they have is up.
This is the guy that destroyed NBC and kept it in 4th place for many many years.
Zucker was very successful at the Today Show before he was promoted to NBC Entertainment. I'm sure CNN will suit his talents better.
Jeff Zucker?! LMFAO!!! Buh-bye CNN!
[quote]What [R1] said, the only direction they have is up. No, extinction.
Bye Bye Anderson.
He is probably going to try to trim AC salary. He is known as a cost cutter.
Zucker was behind the whole Jay Leno/Conan O'Brien fuck up. He's horrible. CNN is one of these companies that is doing everything possible to ensure a complete collapse. Love this: Days later, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wrote that in Hollywood “there has been a single topic of discussion: How does Jeff Zucker keep rising and rising while the fortunes of NBC keep falling and falling? ...many in the Hollywood community have always regarded him as ...a network Napoleon who never bothered to learn about developing shows and managing talent." She explained that Zucker "is a master at managing up with bosses and calculating cost-per-hour benefits, but even though he made money on cable shows, he could not program the network to save his life." Dowd also reported that an unnamed "honcho at another network" stated that "Zucker is a case study in the most destructive media executive ever to exist... You’d have to tell me who else has taken a once-great network and literally destroyed it." On June 2, 2010, the New York Post reported that Zucker would be paid between $30 million and $40 million to leave NBC Universal shortly after Comcast completes its 51 percent acquisition in the company.
He's executive producing "Katie".
HAHAHAHAHAHA! CNN, the one network more FAIL than NBC.
[quote] he made money on cable shows Which is why CNN wants him. He did great job on NBC/Universal cable shows. They want him to work his magic on CNN.
At least with Jeff, he will hire some hot guys for CNN and get rid of dead weight like Blitzer. He will probably give Don Lemmon much more to do.
Get rid of Wolf Blitzer, Piers Morgan and Jon King. Blitzer has no audience appeal and is one of those people who are only there because they've been around for so long that no one has bothered to budge on the issue. Now's the time to budge! Morgan is smarmy personified. He is a sorry replacement for Larry King. Jon King is a GOP mouthpiece and it's amazing what depths he'll go to so he can lick Republican taint. "Tina, get the ax!"
R15 what about AC?
Kathie Couric show will be cancelled, she then will replace Anderson Cooper with Kathie Couric 360
R17 Katie has a two-year commitment. She isn't going anywhere
CNN's collapse is complete!
Ben%20Silverman
AC will be the first person to get sacked.
Dump that awful Erin Burnett woman.. followed by Wolf('I am teeny,tiny')Blitzer, John King and the horror of D.C., Dana Bash.
I want Blitzer, Piers Morgan, Erin Burnett, John King, Dana Bash and some of the rightwing pundits like Bay Buchanan, Ari Fleischer, Erick Erickson, Mary Matalin and even David Gergen and Candy Crowley GONE.
I worked with Jeff Zucker. The worst. Known around NBC as "That little mother Zucker." Pretty much responsible for destroying the NBC franchise single handedly. Successful only in escaping blame for it.
[quote]Zucker was very successful at the Today Show Thanks for that info R5, I wasn't sure about his background or if he had any connection to news programming.
[quote][bold]Blitzer[/bold] has no audience appeal and is one of those people who are only there because they've been around for so long that no one has bothered to budge on the issue. Ain't that the truth. I hardly ever watch TV and watched CNN briefly yesterday for storm coverage. Blitzer had no facial expression and almost spoke in a monotone. Was this an off day for him or does he always come off this moribund?
Yay! I'll be the next Rachel Green! Ben's Gunther.
Wow! First Apple, now CNN??
Ari needs to go, he's such a closeted doofus!
Blitzer's ALWAYS like that R25, dull as dishwater. [quote]I worked with Jeff Zucker. The worst. Known around NBC as "That little mother Zucker." Pretty much responsible for destroying the NBC franchise single handedly Uh oh, maybe CNN didn't think this through...
He's been coasting on the Today Show for his entire fucking career, much like Lucas with Star Wars.
He will do great - but everyone there will not be very secure in their jobs. He will move CNN away from news to infotainment and many of the people there will not make the transition as a result. I expect old stalwarts like Wolf, etc. to be axed.
Are they joking? This idiot help bring down NBC!
If I were in charge of CNN's programming, I'd start a new daytime talk show based on current events: news, health issues and some entertainment. Sort of like "The View" but more news-based. I'd hire Rosie O'Donnell and Lisa Ling for the show. I'd put Erin Burnett on the show, too, after I canceled her evening show.
[quote] I'd put Erin Burnett on the show, too No, she's a hack and a right wing shill. She needs to go.
Piers Morgan has just released this statement to the media about the speculation regarding Jeff Zucker. I love Jeff Zucker. I wouldn’t be here without him. He was the boss at NBC Universal. I was under a contract [as host of America’s Got Talent]; everybody had said to him, “Don’t let him go,” and, “Why do we want to share our talent with CNN?” And he said: “I get it. This is your dream job, and I’m going to let you do it.” He’s a very capable executive. But I think there are lots of people who could do that job very capably, and it won’t be my decision. I can say with total honesty I have no idea who is going to get the job.
[quote] No, she's a hack and a right wing shill. She needs to go. How can you say that about Carol Burnett's daughter?
I would totally take it away from the editorial bullshit. I would have a sucession of pretty girls and hot guys reading the news with reporters out in the field during the day. The primetime slot would be devoted to hard news/ 60 Minutes type pieces. 8:00 would be a 60 Minutes type program. 9:00 would be an interview program with newsmakers and personalities. 10:00 would be a wrap up of the days' news.
AC salary could hire ten new anchors, which is why he will probably get the boot.
LOL R36! I'm not so sure they'd let AC go, it's possible, but he might be one of the ones who stays.
R39 if he stays they are going to ask him to take a salary cut. Jeff Zucker needs that money to lure more anchors to CNN.
Erin Burnett was actually very likable when she was on CNBC. She also made frequent appearances on Meet the Press, where she came across as a Democrat. It's only after she went to CNN that she became more conservative, and I think CNN pushed that on her.
[quote]9:00 would be an interview program with newsmakers and personalities. And strippers.
Replace John King with hottie Peter Alexander.
They need an honest fact-checking program. Take the political spin of the day and confirm or deny what's being said. No other agenda than that. I realize that's what journalists are already supposed to do, but this is the 21st century where up is down...
Cooper's safe. He's pretty much the only "personality" they have.
But AC will be asked to take a paycut. His salary doesn't justify the ratings.
Cooper is not safe. He's old and getting older. He's tired. Erin Burnett is unfortunately more safe than Cooper if Zuckerman takes over.
Yeah, I think AC's safe. He may not bring in big ratings, but he has a following, 3 million on Twitter and he has a good history of reporting on CNN, on most of their biggest stories. Burnett is useless.
Soledad will be given much more to do.
Jeff Zucker worked with Soledad while they were both at NBC News Expect more NBC News people to be poached to go to CNN Which is why AC will be asked to take a pay cut. JZ needs that money to lure top talent from NBC
First, he loses face when Ben is snapped, then he loses the talk show, next 30% of his salary. Will he lose his marbles next and stalk and run over Michael Strahan?
A pay cut wouldn't matter for AC, he's got tons of money as it is. Someone upthread said CNN should do better fact-checking and that's true, they need to stop leaning right and just REPORT ACCURATELY.
AC is a self-loathing Republican who is trying to elect an anti-gay President in Romney, so he deserves the epic comeuppance.
Rachel%20Maddow
If AC has to go for that R53, EVERYONE but Soledad does too, because they are all backing Romney there.
But those other people aren't gay.
Don Lemon is and he can be just as hard on Obama as AC. If you watch CNN long enough, it is obvious that they are pushing Romney, that includes AC, but EVERYONE else there with the exception of Soledad.
Don Lemon asks tough questions. He is good, but isnt' getting the proper assignments. Anderson and Wolf are phoning it in. Piers is unwatchable. They need Don, Soledad, and some newbies to breath some life into that station.
I wonder if he'll hire Mika away from MSNBC? She seems like she's over Morning Joe.
Another mark against him r35. He let Piers spread himself.
Don is too hard on the President and I don't like it, he doesn't do that with conservatives and is always going after liberals on Twitter who think he's being unfair. Well, he IS unfair.
Has anybody else noticed that Anderson is wheezing a lot when he's on camera? It's the weirdest thing! He sounds like he has asthma or emphesima or something...and I'm finding him less watchable than before because of it. As far as Jeff Zucker, isn't he that bald moron who supersized the NBC shows a few years back so that Friends was like 42 minutes long and it didn't work AT ALL?
Lila%20McKann
yep that is the one R61
Couldn't hoit.
Jeff Zucker is the one who brought Donald Trump to NBC What happens if he decides to do the same at NBC?
It's official
http://www.deadline.com/2012/11/jeff-zucker-to-be-new-cnn-boss-nyt/
AC Better get ready for that paycut