Chris Cuomo’s termination by CNN is the latest example of volatility in the television news sector.
7 p.m. ET on Fox News has been home to rotating hosts for nearly a year. The 11pm show on MSNBC will soon need a new host due to ‘withdrawal’ Brian Williams. Early next year, MSNBC’s 9pm hours will also need a new host, as Rachel Maddow is about to step back from her day job. And CNN’s 9 p.m. hour was also suddenly empty.
These are seriously tumultuous times for the top players in cable news – and that’s even before accounting for business model pressures and the streaming wars. Now, here’s the latest Cuomo news…
Saturday
end by Chris Cuomo understandably caught many off guard. On Sunday “Reliable”, I spent
six minutes fabricate
daily timeline, from Monday’s document rendering to Saturday’s decision. Key details: CNN has retained law firm Cravath to review documents related to Cuomo. Cravath’s findings were filed on Friday and were enough for CNN to fire Cuomo.
During that legal review, Debra Katz, an attorney who specializes in harassment and discrimination cases, contacted CNN on behalf of an anonymous client accused of “sexual misconduct.” serious” years ago, when Cuomo worked at ABC. The complaint is the “additional information” CNN referenced when it said Cuomo was terminated Saturday night.
“Based on the report we received regarding Chris’ conduct with his brother’s defense, we have grounds for termination,” a CNN spokesperson said. “When new allegations came to us this week, we took them seriously and saw no reason to delay taking immediate action.”
Conclusion from
my report: This is a death per thousandth of a cut. Cuomo constantly causes headaches for management and CNN. And the headaches are sure to continue…
Any more information on alleged misconduct?
In short, no, not yet. But reporters for The New York Times and other newspapers have pursued Cuomo tips in the past, and Katz’s client information is
first reported by NYT end of Saturday. Katz did not respond to my request for comment on Sunday. A Cuomo spokesman said, “the anonymous allegations are clearly untrue.”
Jodi Kantor, co-author of the NYT report,
Was observed that “this means that both Cuomo brothers have lost their positions following the #metoo accusations…”
Media analysts reported
On Sunday “Reliable”, I asked Mara Schiavocampo, Sara Fischer, and David Zurawik for an analysis of CNN’s decision and failure incident. The common question, Zurawik says, should be, “Who do you serve?” The TV presenter “should serve the public,” he said. “That sometimes pits you against those in power.”
Fischer raised the question of “why CNN delayed action.” But Schiavocampo said CNN’s decision to fire Cuomo could strengthen “the public’s confidence in the media, because they made the right call for such an obvious case here.”
Watch part one and
part two of the conversation on CNN.com…
Latest updates, along with this week’s programming plan
– CNN President Jeff Zucker “was taken aback by the attorney general’s report, and felt Mr. Cuomo had misled him”, WSJ’s Ben Mullin and Joe Flint
report, cite source…– Cuomo said in a
declare that he’s disappointed with the results but proud of his staff and “the work we’ve done is CNN’s #1 show…”
– The producers and staff of “Cuomo Prime Time” will remain in place and will be at work at 9 p.m. ET on CNN…
– As previously announced, Cuomo’s regular replacement Michael Smerconish will take the lead at 9pm this week. On the TV listing, now titled “CNN Tonight…”
– “The network has no immediate plans for permanent replacement”, LAT .’s Stephen Battaglio
reported …
.
