Don Lemon’s new CNN show gets only 387,000 viewers – almost 50,000 LESS – than its predecessor
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It was a rough start for Don Lemon on his new CNN morning show alongside Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins.
‘CNN This Morning’ debuted this week to less than 390,000 viewers after heavy promotion of the network following the cancellation of its predecessor, ‘New Day’.
The numbers are dismal compared to the show’s competition, including “Morning Joe” on MSNBC, which brought in 793,000 viewers. ‘FOX and Friends’ saw 1.5 million viewers.
“CNN This Morning” also debuted with an average of 50,000 fewer viewers than the “New Day,” with only 71,000 viewers being considered the network’s demographic.
Poppy Harlow, left, Don Lemon (center), and Katilan Collins looked excited for their first day on ‘CNN This Morning’ on Tuesday, with few viewers
New CNN CEO Chris Licht is responsible for the shake-ups at the network
On the last show, ‘New Day’ brought in just over 350,000. That number still saw only 75,000 of the network’s main adult demographic aged 25-54.
On November 1, ‘Morning Joe’ had 114,000 in the same category and ‘FOX and Friends’ saw 236,000.
Before it started losing viewers en masse, the show averaged 413,000 viewers in 2022.
The numbers indicate trouble for the network, which has reportedly purged journalists who are too far to the left and too critical of Donald Trump and the GOP.
At the time of announcing Lemon’s move from his primetime show, the anchor called the shakeup a “promotion.”
Lemon said in October that the network did not force him from his left-wing views.
“This isn’t someone who tells you to go right, Don Lemon, and not give so much of your perspective. None of that happened,” Lemon said. “That’s all food for Twitter.”
“This is an opportunity for me to create something around me and I get to work with two amazing ladies.”
The show was presented to potential viewers as “a more relaxed approach” to the morning news.
Kaitlan Collins (left) and Poppy Harlow (right) co-anchor ‘CNN This Morning’ alongside Lemon
Lemon seemed excited when he woke up in the early morning hours for his first day on the new show
Despite looking upbeat and happy about his new schedule in the Instagram video, fans of the CNN anchor begged him to return to his late-night show.
Lemon took to Instagram on Tuesday, the day the show debuted, to share his “excitement” at the dawn of the new era.
The CNN anchor posted a video to Instagram Reels of him getting ready for his first morning shift with the show.
Despite the upbeat attitude in the video, commentators on the video weren’t shy about asking him to go back.
‘Sorry D! CNN made a mistake with this one. You need to renegotiate and get your PRIME Spot back ASAP!’ said one person.
“Great first day BUT I don’t like being kept quiet in an AM program slot. You need to get back to primetime where you can discuss the issues, get to the heart of the matter and make your point!’ another wrote.
“I miss you on CNN at night. Go back to the 10pm time slot,” someone said on Tuesday.
“Well, I wish you the best, but it looks like you’re not a newscaster anymore! CNN is turning into the view,” another exclaimed.
Don Lemon (left) insisted his move to the mornings was not a relegation and was just an attempt to ‘shake things up’
“There is no stronger combination of talent than Don, Poppy and Kaitlan to deliver on our promise of a groundbreaking morning news program,” CEO Chris Licht wrote in a statement in October.
‘They are extremely intelligent, reliable and compelling; together they have a rare and palpable chemistry. Combined with CNN’s resources and global news gathering capabilities, we offer a smart, bold and refreshing way to start the day.”
The call is one of Licht’s most prominent decisions as he seeks to remove the outlet of “opinion-based partisan news” and anchors criticizing conservatives and the GOP.
Lemon spent 16 of his 40 years of journalism at CNN.
Collins (left) is known for covering the White House for CNN, including during former President Donald Trump’s tenure
The news of the disappointing reviews for Lemon’s new show comes as Light is reportedly telling employees to brace themselves for big changes in the weeks and months ahead.
In a letter sent to employees on Wednesday, CNN’s CEO said there were “widespread concerns” about the global economy that will affect “people, budgets and projects.”
Just six months into the position, Licht’s assessment of the company recently found that some departments in the workplace of 4,500 employees have been “blown up.”
The CEO said he and other executives want to figure out who will be fired by the end of the year so we can start 2023 feeling good and prepared for the future.
CEO Chris Licht (above) has indicated that CNN faces big changes in the coming weeks and months as the news source tries to “work off the fat”
Light reportedly hopes to change CNN’s reputation as an ‘awakened’ media source
Licht also has a “hands-off” style that is reportedly affecting the staff as he and others involved in the process begin to evaluate who will be on the chopping block.
Despite the “disturbing” changes, the new boss said he hopes CNN will tell stories that families will discuss around the table, with less of a focus on politics.
Licht took over after the resignation of Jeff Zucker, a staunch networker who resigned over an undisclosed consensual relationship with ex-CNN executive Allison Gollust.
That came to the fore after former star Chris Cuomo – a close friend of Zucker’s – was removed from his CNN show to inform his brother Andrew – the disgraced ex-governor of New York – about how to survive sexual harassment allegations. .