CNN+: How, Actually, Does this Happen?
CNN is killing its brand spanking new streaming service, CNN+, after a month.
As a bit of a news junkie, I was intrigued, if not exactly excited, by the launch of CNN+, the news streaming service that CNN put gazillions of dollars, time, effort and promotion into launching on March 29, 2022.
Well, it turns out I was one of the few people who (sort of) cared and, apparently, one of even fewer who actually paid for and watched it. I signed up for the $2.99/month-for-life promotion CNN offered before it launched. Maybe that was a sign: If you’re discounting your product – FOR LIFE – before it even launches, you might just have a streaming steaming pile of epic proportions in your hands.
It appears that this will be one of the worst product introductions since Moses tried to launch the Ten Commandments, only to find out his people had gone WAYYY off the reservation. Moses was plucky, though. He had better luck on the second try.
But CNN is (apparently) neither god nor prophet, so CNN+ will NOT get a second try. It will be shut down by the end of April.
So, again, I ask: How in the name of Yahweh does something like this happen???
Other questions swirling in my brain:
- In the lead up to the launch, were there people inside CNN, at meetings, around a conference table thinking “This thing is going to suck. I wonder if I should speak up.”?
- In the past couple of weeks, when the new management and ownership of CNN took control, did they have a meeting asking the people who were behind CNN+ “WHAT THE ACTUAL F*CK??? HOW DID THIS THING MAKE IT OUT OF THE MEMO PHASE???” ?
- Did hosts like Chris Wallace, Audie Cornish and Jake Tapper, all incredibly talented and capable journalists, ever stop to say “Wait. We’re journalists. If we attach ourselves to this thing, we might never scrape the stench off.”?
- In the name of all that is holy, why did ANYONE think that ANYONE would watch a show about parenting from Anderson Cooper? And this is in no way meant to imply that Anderson Copper isn’t a fabulous parent. I just can’t believe ANYONE would think it was worthy of an entire TV show that people would pay for. (I know, I know. I paid for it. But in my defense, I paid the sale price AND I never actually watched or had any intention of watching Anderson Cooper try to breast feed…)
My list of questions is boundless. If CNN+ weren’t shutting down in a week, I would pitch a TV show to CNN+ called “CNN+: What Was CNN Thinking???” Everyone would watch THAT.
But, CNN is in good bad company. The list of ill-conceived product launches from some of the greatest companies in the world is long and storied:
- New Coke
- The Edsel
- Apple Newton
- Netflix Quikster (bet you forgot about THAT one…)
- Google+
- Amazon Fire Phone
- Facebook Oculus (coming soon to a Harvard Business School case study)
On a personal note, I would like to take just a little bit of credit for the spiking of CNN+. When I worked in radio in the late '80s, there was an intern who worked at the station. He was still in high school at the time and he just pestered me constantly about getting on the air and when could he get on the air and was there any way he could get on the air and how he was ready to be on the air. I told him that he would get there, in due course, but to take the time OFF the air to learn the basics.
That kid’s name was (and is) Chris Licht, who recently became the head of CNN, replacing Jeff Zucker. After interning and working at our humble radio station, Chris went on to Syracuse, then to television, where he created and executive produced “Morning Joe” on MSNBC, “The CBS Morning Show”, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and now runs all of CNN.
Chris was (and is) whip-smart. I’m pretty sure he had a major hand in putting CNN+ out of its misery about 10 minutes after he walked in the front door. And I like to think that I taught him everything he knows about what makes for a quality, informative and engaging broadcast product.
So, you’re welcome, America.
And Rust in Peace, CNN+.