Breaking CNN!

Imagine, if you will, the person who enjoys CNN so much that they would be willing to pay extra, you know, for more of Chris Cillizza’s Hot Takes? That person apparently does not exist:

Investment and projections for CNN+ are expected to be cut dramatically in response to a low adoption rate, two sources tell Axios…

Details: CNN executives, with help from consulting firm McKinsey, originally expected to bring in around 2 million subscribers in the U.S. in the service’s first year and 15-18 million after four years.

• They originally planned for the service to break even after four years.
• Much of the subscriber opportunity executives see comes from international markets.
• Sources say those subscriber expectations will need to be dramatically reduced if investment is cut.

shocking, n’est-ce pas?

When CNN was a 24-hour new channel it was new and was important, though they struggled to fill the 24 hours. Then Zucker decided to use the Fox News model of a blend of news and talking heads, which soon became their dreadful Powerhouse Panels, and the home of Both Sides journalism. He saw it as a Drama! not news. So seriously, what is the incentive to pay extra for more of the same? Who is the person who craves even more of that?

Looks like Jeff Zucker got off the Death Star just before it exploded.