This is CNN

January 17, 2006

Just two weeks ago, we learned that best-selling compiler and conservative radio talk-show host Bill Bennett was poised to make the transition from Fox News to CNN, despite his recent controversies and his controversial government contracts with the Bush administration. Now, it’s another conservative radio talk-show host headed for CNN.

CNN Headline News is continuing to bet its future success on opinionated chat shows, this time by hiring an up-and-coming conservative radio host for a new prime time program.

The upcoming addition of Glenn Beck, who is heard on about 200 radio stations, is the latest of several major changes at Headline News. In a move away from its heritage of showing a nonstop succession of half-hour news updates, the Atlanta-based network is focusing on shows meant to keep viewers watching longer.

And who’s Glenn Beck? Well, according to Media Matters, he has quite a way with words.

* On families of 9/11 victims, Beck said, “[T]his is horrible to say, and I wonder if I’m alone in this — you know, it took me about a year to start hating the 9-11 victims’ families? Took me about a year.”

* On Hurricane Katrina survivors in New Orleans, “And that’s all we’re hearing about, are the people in New Orleans. Those are the only ones that we’re seeing on television are the scumbags — and again, it’s not all the people in New Orleans. Most of the people in New Orleans got out! It’s just a small percentage of those who were left in New Orleans, or who decided to stay in New Orleans, and they’re getting all the attention.”

* On a call from someone claiming to have tortured prisoners in U.S. custody: “I’ve got to tell you, I appreciate your service. … Good for you. Good for — I mean, good for you.”

* On filmmaker Michael Moore: “Hang on, let me just tell you what I’m thinking. I’m thinking about killing Michael Moore, and I’m wondering if I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it. No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out — is this wrong?”

And the line between Fox News and the CNN networks blurs a little more…

Sounds like their new tag line is going to be:

“All Clowns – All The Time”

Frankly this can’t be good news for them. If they feel the need to bring in new talent that’s even *more* bizarre than what they have already, their grip on the attention of America must be slipping somewhere.

And this is good news for freedom-loving peoples everywhere.

  • CNN consinutes its slide towards extention. And they wonder why people aren’t watching them anymore.

  • CNN consinutes its slide towards extention. And they wonder why people aren’t watching them anymore.

    ET, you meant to say “extinction.”

  • On filmmaker Michael Moore: “Hang on, let me just tell you what I’m thinking. I’m thinking about killing Michael Moore, and I’m wondering if I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it. No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out — is this wrong?”

    Is it wrong that I feel like I could do the same thing to him? I mean I could right? Or what about Rush or any of the other syncophants? I mean grow up. I could never do that cause I not not that big of an idiot.

  • One more right-winger pushing the elimantionist rhetoric in the public sphere. I don’t know if anyone else is paying attention to this growing trend, but the chorus seems to getting louder as time goes on. It seems like most of the winger talking heads have been on this Democrat = Liberal = Traitor kick for a while and the more I hear it the more concerned I’m becoming.

  • One more step in transforming themselves from a reliable and objective source for the latest news into a 24 hour farse. I guess they really just traded Tucker Carlson and Bob Novak for these two ass-clowns. If poeple don’t tune them out immedately maybe they will watch and realize that these wing nut freaks are insane. Could it possibly backfire on teh right by making them look like the looneys they are?

  • Which is why I generally prefer MSNBC now. At least they seem more honest about where they stand, and more like real people reacting to things, even if they tend to be leaning Republican in many ways. But it’s been clear for a long time that CNN isn’t really the objective news source that it has been touted as for a long time. Wolf Blitzer, Paula Zahn — getting rid of Aaron Brown — sorry, but there’s a conservative agenda at work.

  • So much for me getting cable until they allow ala carte service, because I am NOT going to help pay for assholes spouting off on Fox or CNN.

  • CNN is just modeling istself after the Democrats. If you can’t beat ’em, try to be more like ’em. Hmmm, it’s working out so well for the Democrats.

  • Is it possible CNN’s just reconfiguring Headline News (which has never been much of anything–just a “safe” channel for hospital waiting rooms and the like) into their version of FNC, and leaving CNN as straight news? And trying to leach off some of FNC’s ratings in the process.

  • And America continues to be chewed up by the CorporateGOP. Where is it heading, I wonder.

    One party, one message, one purpose.

    Sounds familiar…where have I heard something like that before????

    Oh yeah… ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fuhrer.

  • I gues they just wanted the goose-steppers at FreeRepublic to stop calling them the Communist News Network, eh?

    Just discovered the new residence has basic cable. And I don’t watch one minute of ANY of the alleged “news” networks on cable. Sorry, I just can’t pass the IQ test low enough no matter how hard I try.

  • CNN is chasing the ratings and is slipping into the alternate universe of red state consciousness where Bush is our fearless patriotic leader who benevolently spys on us to protect us from foreign evil doers.

    Which actually sounds like party line propaganda from North Korea.

    Scarey times when so many Americans seem to believe this crap.
    Massive exposure to years of conditioning from television advertising has turned our collective national critical thinking ability into mush.

    The land of the free from thinking and the home of the brainwashed.

  • I listened to Mr. Beck for the first time this weekend, as a smooth jazz station in our market was recently taken over by wingnut yappers. (Note: Conservative talk is the only radio format worse than smooth jazz.)

    Mr. Beck appeared to have only these tools at his disposal:

    .. selective reporting
    .. fake outrage
    .. misleading representation of those who disagree with him
    .. ad hominem insults
    .. really dumb, syncophantic callers
    .. loud annoying bumper music

    In other words, he is definitely ready for the big-time.

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