CNN has decided to end the marquee prime-time talk show Piers Morgan Live that was drawing a fraction of viewers compared with competitors at Fox News and MSNBC. This just three years after he took over for Larry King, who retired after holding the prime time slot for a quarter decade.
The talk-show host had infuriated conservatives during his three-year run on CNN with frequent discourses on gun control. And when you have a habit of calling the guest that disagree with you on your show, “stupid people” the viewing public it seems, just got turned off.
He told a reporter at the NY times…”Look, I am a British guy debating American cultural issues, including guns, which has been very polarizing, and there is no doubt that there are many in the audience who are tired of me banging on about it.”
His ratings had for many months, been an embarrassment to the once proud network and its executives. A broadcast on February 18th, which included coverage of Ukraine’s dramatic political crisis and an interview with the former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, drew its second smallest audience to date among adults aged 25-54 (50,000). Analysts at Nielsen reported that the show also drew just 270,000 total viewers. I think its time for CNN to talk to a guy named Jay Leno. He at least has appeal and credibility.
Morgan is no stranger to controversy, he also lost his job at the Daily Mirror after publishing fake pictures of alleged British troop misconduct in Iraq, Last month he was also questioned by London police in connection with accusations that he had direct knowledge of the phone-hacking scandal, contrary to what he stated at the Leveson inquiry. There has also been testimony by witnesses at the court trial which is currently taking place in England that has contradicted his previous statements.
The talk-show host had infuriated conservatives during his three-year run on CNN with frequent discourses on gun control. And when you have a habit of calling the guest that disagree with you on your show, “stupid people” the viewing public it seems, just got turned off.
He told a reporter at the NY times…”Look, I am a British guy debating American cultural issues, including guns, which has been very polarizing, and there is no doubt that there are many in the audience who are tired of me banging on about it.”
His ratings had for many months, been an embarrassment to the once proud network and its executives. A broadcast on February 18th, which included coverage of Ukraine’s dramatic political crisis and an interview with the former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, drew its second smallest audience to date among adults aged 25-54 (50,000). Analysts at Nielsen reported that the show also drew just 270,000 total viewers. I think its time for CNN to talk to a guy named Jay Leno. He at least has appeal and credibility.
Morgan is no stranger to controversy, he also lost his job at the Daily Mirror after publishing fake pictures of alleged British troop misconduct in Iraq, Last month he was also questioned by London police in connection with accusations that he had direct knowledge of the phone-hacking scandal, contrary to what he stated at the Leveson inquiry. There has also been testimony by witnesses at the court trial which is currently taking place in England that has contradicted his previous statements.
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