CNN once prided itself as the "most trusted name in news" that was the go-to network for breaking news occurring around the world. But in 2023, it was best known for the utter chaos that unfolded both onscreen and behind the scenes.
It’s been a rough stretch of years at CNN, which saw embarrassing scandals plague the network in 2021 before management and ownership changes crushed morale in 2022.
And 2023 proved to be another disastrous year for CNN, as controversial comments made by one of its biggest stars, yet another regime change, and a ratings free fall have all made headlines.
CNN FIRES DON LEMON, LEAVING LONGTIME ANCHOR 'STUNNED'
In late 2022, CNN mainstay Don Lemon insisted his move from having a prestigious solo primetime show to sharing a revamped morning show with two co-hosts was not a demotion. But little did he know that the new gig would ultimately mark the beginning of the end of his 17-year tenure at the network.
In February, Lemon sparked a national firestorm by claiming Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was past her "prime" at age 51, citing Google as his source while stunning his female co-anchors in the process. Not only did conservatives bash the liberal CNN star, his comments were even mocked by the Biden White House and even made their way into Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh's acceptance speech at this year's Academy Awards.
Lemon offered a mea culpa during the network's editorial call the next day, but female colleagues weren’t pleased. Colleagues were further enraged when Lemon was spotted frolicking at a posh Miami resort after the insensitive remarks about Haley.
Lemon was then ordered to take "formal training," but he returned to his struggling morning show a few days later. A CNN insider told Fox News Digital in February that Lemon had "no defenders" inside the network over the situation and everyone was still "pissed."
Despite riding the rough waters from his "prime" comments, Lemon was shown the door in April. While CNN never formally offered an explanation for his sudden termination, many pointed to a fiery exchange he had with GOP hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, which occurred just days prior that could have been the last straw as the network hoped to tone down the partisan programming that thrived under previous management.
In 2022, David Zaslav, the chief of CNN's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, tapped Chris Licht to lead the network following his anti-Trump predecessor Jeff Zucker, who was ousted amid scandal. Zaslav saw potential in Licht who, despite having never run a news organization, was the executive producer who launched MSNBC's "Morning Joe," successfully revamped "CBS This Morning" and helped champion "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in the late-night ratings war.
Zaslav's mission for Licht, in addition to stopping the hemorrhaging of the network's viewership, was to strip CNN of its liberal stench left behind by Zucker, who had transformed the network into a left-wing organization that constantly attacked former President Trump and other Republicans. With that objective in mind, Licht struggled to earn the trust of CNN's rank and file, many of whom were in disbelief that their network had any sort of political bias.
Licht's programming changes were ineffective as they mostly involved swapping the time slots of various hosts and elevating correspondents absent of a strong fan base. And it was widely reported how Licht's leadership style wasn't as hands-on as Zucker, who was tightly-knit with network talent and had heavy editorial control.
But it all came to a head in May following CNN's now-infamous Trump town hall. Licht rolled out the red carpet for Trump, who had boycotted the network for several years, and the GOP presidential frontrunner sparred with CNN up-and-comer Kaitlan Collins. CNN faced the wrath of its liberal viewers, blasting the network for "platforming" a man they deem to be a threat to American democracy.
Perhaps even more jarring was the backlash the town hall received from within CNN itself. The network's left-wing media reporter repeatedly trashed the town hall and questioned Licht's leadership in CNN's "Reliable Sources" newsletter. CNN veteran journalist Christiane Amanpour offered a stunning rebuke of the town hall and her boss during a commencement speech she made at Columbia's journalism school.
While the response to the Trump town hall was certainly turbulent for CNN, what put the nail in Licht's coffin appeared to be a piece published in The Atlantic that documented Licht's first (and only) year running the network.
The Atlantic's Tim Alberta was given unprecedented access to Licht for the 15,000-word profile that left CNN staffers offended by Licht's various comments, particularly when he suggested CNN hyped its COVID coverage for ratings under Zucker.
Licht's apology to his staff the next day did not do him any favors, as CNN employees had completely lost faith in him. Zaslav fired him less than a week later.
Zaslav has since tapped former New York Times CEO Mark Thompson to run the struggling network, marking CNN's third boss in less than two years, in addition to multiple interim leaders.
FOX NEWS CHANNEL CRUSHES CABLE COMPETITION IN 2023
CNN has had a difficult time attracting viewers during the Biden era and is on pace to finish 2023 with its lowest-rated year of all time for the second consecutive year.
Through December 12, CNN managed only 482,000 average total day viewers compared to 1.2 million for Fox News. During primetime, CNN averaged only 586,000 primetime viewers to finish No. 12 among cable networks, with a smaller audience than networks such as TLC, Hallmark and HGTV.
CNN’s most-watched program in 2023 was "Anderson Cooper 360," which finished No. 29 among cable news options. Despite being CNN’s most popular show, "AC 360" managed only 743,000 total viewers to finish behind 14 Fox News programs and 14 MSNBC shows.
"King Charles," the last brainchild of Licht that premiered months after his ouster with hosts Gayle King and Charles Barkley, debuted last month with only 501,000 total viewers. By the third episode, the program shed 10% of its already dismal audience when only 453,000 people tuned in. The high-profile pairing of King and Barkley was meant to juice CNN's weak primetime viewership, but to no avail.
Fox News’ Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.
