[scottishtv]

When I read reports like that, the bit that sticks out is the reference to "600 CNN managers".

Even being generous, I struggle to square that number of management people with the quantity and quality of the output. Baffling.

[oscillon]

CNN London studio had a rare use of their narrow vertical column - to show not just backdrops, but remote guests the anchor (Isa Soares) was talking to!

Usually they do it on larger (and wider) vertical screen on the left but this time they had to keep together both remote and in-studio guest. Never though they could squeeze a guest on that!

---

And welcome another unidentified studio for CNN Primetime, with on-floor (virtual?) graphics used to show how the planes had a near miss:

Makes you wonder if the whole studio is virtual and green screen...

[interestednovice]

Is it that mostly-green screen studio which had been used for Reliable Sources Daily on CNN+, perhaps?

I believe one side of that studio was entirely green screen, and on the other side there was pretty much nothing except a desk (which could likely be easily moved out of the way).

[oscillon]

Is it that mostly-green screen studio which had been used for Reliable Sources Daily on CNN+, perhaps?

I believe one side of that studio was entirely green screen, and on the other side there was pretty much nothing except a desk (which could likely be easily moved out of the way).

I thought of 21V as a possibility, and now that I've looked up again the pictures of the latter during the short RS Daily era I'm quite convinced you are right - mind the circle on the floor!


Newscaststudio says they've redone it into more physical thing with screens for Reliable Sources Daily.
www.newscaststudio.com 

'Reliable Sources Daily' leverages virtual set extensions to create &#…
CNN+'s daily media news show "Reliable Sources Daily" builds upon…
  Source: www.newscaststudio.com

During recent Fareed Zakaria shows they had this metallic borders at every angle that looked very physical to me, so at first I was confused by not seeing them during Primetime.

Fareed Zakaria GPS from Studio 21V

But it appeared to be just an image on those screens as they were not there during Reliable Sources Daily, instead the studio seemed to have white thick borders.

[Charles]

This idea of a topical Primetime hour, hosted by any of CNN’s major presenters, seems to be working well.

Far better than trying to “build a show” around a personality, such as with Cuomo or Don Lemon’s old shows. As ever with CNN, though, they just have to sort out mornings. Poppy is a veteran morning presenter who always comes across as “warm”, Kaitlan has the newsy background, but I don’t think Don works as the “tie it together”, “familiar CNN face” his role probably requires.

I also don’t get how they could have axed New Day for a supposedly more hard-News show but then make it “all about the conversation”? That’s fluffy soft news, and the major US networks already have that audience sewn up anyway. I really think proper hard news is the niche to be filled (and it would also make the international simulcast more bearable - Early Start on CNNI was always fine because of it’s newsy content, despite the name).

Presenting from a desk and being willing to do proper interviews is a start, but editorial priorities also need to focus on news and not fluff.

It seems like they want to make a splash in the mornings by getting a lot of big, newsworthy interviews that are going to become daylong news items on both CNN and competing news outlets, not unlike Morning Joe at its height. It's not a bad strategy, but I agree that Don Lemon is just a really bad fit all around.

The other problem is just that CNN has never had a tradition of being very strong in the morning. Between local news and the networks, there's already too much competition, and both of those options are going to be more appealing to most morning viewers than anything CNN can put together.

[EastCoast]

Victor Blackwell’s last CNN Newsroom show was today. He announced (as expected) his move back to Atlanta to work on CNN This Morning with Amara Walker and his “new solo show”.

[oscillon]

Victor Blackwell’s last CNN Newsroom show was today. He announced (as expected) his move back to Atlanta to work on CNN This Morning with Amara Walker and his “new solo show”.

.

I suppose the latter must be Saturday 10 am hour. Now it is just referred to as "Newsroom" and hosted by the weekend morning team, but it was reported by CNN itself that Victor will be the single anchor of it, without Amara.

Victor Blackwell will now anchor the 10am hour on Saturdays and co-anchor CNN This Morning Weekend with Amara Walker out of Atlanta.

cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com 

CNN Announces New Approach and Format to Dayside Programming
JOHN BERMAN, KATE BOLDUAN AND SARA SIDNER TO ANCHOR 9AM-12PM ET WEEKDAY PROGRAM …
  Source: cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com

[interestednovice]

It seems like they want to make a splash in the mornings by getting a lot of big, newsworthy interviews that are going to become daylong news items on both CNN and competing news outlets, not unlike Morning Joe at its height. It's not a bad strategy, but I agree that Don Lemon is just a really bad fit all around.
The other problem is just that CNN has never had a tradition of being very strong in the morning. Between local news and the networks, there's already too much competition, and both of those options are going to be more appealing to most morning viewers than anything CNN can put together.

I agree and that does seem to be the strategy - for it work they really need to go for full-on news though and not a mix of fluffy segments together with news. Essentially morning news for “the grump viewer” who gets irritated by typical morning fare and wants something akin to “evening news in the morning”. Since they’ve axed Morning Express too, it really ought to be fast-paced and the new show so far doesn’t seem that different in pace to New Day.

Morning Joe isn’t too far away from that model, but has become more discussion focused over the years, as I understand it (I don’t watch as I’m not in the US). It’s also more partisan than “new CNN” is trying to be. So there is an opening there if they can seize it.

Unfortunately, Don is associated with the recent scandals as a primetime host during the Cuomo years and doesn’t feel like the right personality for a news-focussed show as his own prime time segments were too laced with opinion (something encouraged by Zucker, but at odds with the new approach).

He has also had all of these recent gaffes which we can only assume are because he just doesn’t want to do mornings and is hoping to be moved off the show!

As to the other topics - good detective work on the studio, oscillon, and I really do feel for Victor Blackwell if this change wasn’t of his own choice. It’s also sad that his return is after Christi Paul has left, as they were such longtime co-anchors. He is a very solid journalist and I personally wish him all the best.

I do not understand the whole “secret extra hour of New Day / This Morning Weekend, branded as Newsroom” though. Why not just have the half-hour recorded programme in the middle of This Morning Weekend? Is it to do with ratings averages or something? There must be a reason, but like so many long-standing things in broadcasting it comes across as odd to the viewer.

[inletwindow]

It seems like they want to make a splash in the mornings by getting a lot of big, newsworthy interviews that are going to become daylong news items on both CNN and competing news outlets, not unlike Morning Joe at its height. It's not a bad strategy, but I agree that Don Lemon is just a really bad fit all around.
The other problem is just that CNN has never had a tradition of being very strong in the morning. Between local news and the networks, there's already too much competition, and both of those options are going to be more appealing to most morning viewers than anything CNN can put together.

I agree and that does seem to be the strategy - for it work they really need to go for full-on news though and not a mix of fluffy segments together with news. Essentially morning news for “the grump viewer” who gets irritated by typical morning fare and wants something akin to “evening news in the morning”. Since they’ve axed Morning Express too, it really ought to be fast-paced and the new show so far doesn’t seem that different in pace to New Day.

Morning Joe isn’t too far away from that model, but has become more discussion focused over the years, as I understand it (I don’t watch as I’m not in the US). It’s also more partisan than “new CNN” is trying to be. So there is an opening there if they can seize it.

Unfortunately, Don is associated with the recent scandals as a primetime host during the Cuomo years and doesn’t feel like the right personality for a news-focussed show as his own prime time segments were too laced with opinion (something encouraged by Zucker, but at odds with the new approach).

He has also had all of these recent gaffes which we can only assume are because he just doesn’t want to do mornings and is hoping to be moved off the show!

As to the other topics - good detective work on the studio, oscillon, and I really do feel for Victor Blackwell if this change wasn’t of his own choice. It’s also sad that his return is after Christi Paul has left, as they were such longtime co-anchors. He is a very solid journalist and I personally wish him all the best.

I do not understand the whole “secret extra hour of New Day / This Morning Weekend, branded as Newsroom” though. Why not just have the half-hour recorded programme in the middle of This Morning Weekend? Is it to do with ratings averages or something? There must be a reason, but like so many long-standing things in broadcasting it comes across as odd to the viewer.

In my opinion, Morning Joe is not particularly newsy.  It’s mostly discussion oriented now.  Nothing at all like an evening newscast in the morning.  

And it’s not like Morning Express was some great news bastion.  But I see your points about the possibilities for CNN.  

I agree!  CNN could and should fill that void. 

Not sure what you mean about a “secret hour.”   Maybe I’m missing something here.

[EastCoast]

I do not understand the whole “secret extra hour of New Day / This Morning Weekend, branded as Newsroom” though. Why not just have the half-hour recorded programme in the middle of This Morning Weekend? Is it to do with ratings averages or something? There must be a reason, but like so many long-standing things in broadcasting it comes across as odd to the viewer.

Prior to the launch of New Day Weekend the Saturday morning lineup was:

   06:00  Weekend Early Start
   07:00  CNN Saturday Morning
   09:30  Your Money
   10:00  CNN Saturday Morning
   12:00  CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield

The New Day Weekend name and branding took over the 06:00-09:30 hours on June 22, 2013. The 10:00-12:00 hours kept the same hosts as New Day Weekend but switched to the CNN Newsroom name and branding. A week later Fredricka Whitfield took over the 11:00 hour and has hosted it since. Weekend morning shows attract some of CNN's worst ratings and only receive facelifts to keep up with the weekday counterparts. It's likely that this odd hour in the schedule is because someone in 2013 didn't want the New Day name running all the way until noon and no-one has paid it any attention since.

On a side note "CNN Saturday Morning" is a much better name than "CNN This Morning Weekend".