Americans are changing how they get their news these days. Many people are turning off their TV sets and looking at their phones instead. Trust in big news channels has been dropping for years.

It’s no secret that some news networks seem more interested in pushing certain views than telling the whole story. Viewers are smart – they can tell when they’re being fed a one-sided story, and they’re voting with their remote controls.

Now, one of America’s most well-known news networks is facing a harsh reality check. CNN, once the king of cable news, is about to be spun off from its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery. The company announced last week it will split into two parts by mid-2026. One part will keep the streaming and movie studios. The other part – where CNN will land – will hold the less exciting cable TV networks.

From ‘Fox News’:

“It’s not just the overpriced talent. It’s the overpriced producers. The overpriced executives. The superfluous reporters who barely are on the air. All will either be exited or forced to take massive pay cuts,” the media insider said.

The person in charge of this new cable company will be Gunnar Wiedenfels, currently the chief financial officer at Warner Bros. Discovery. Putting a money man in charge sends a clear signal – it’s time to cut costs.

Years of Liberal Bias Now Meeting Market Reality

CNN has been struggling to attract viewers for years. May was the network’s second-worst month ever for the key age group that advertisers care about. According to industry estimates, CNN’s ad revenue is expected to drop to $499.2 million next year, down from $563.9 million in 2024.

Why are viewers changing the channel? Many Americans have grown tired of CNN’s radical liberal agenda. From their relentless attacks on traditional values to their fawning coverage of progressive politicians, the network has abandoned any pretense of balanced reporting.

Media analyst Dylan Byers, who used to work at CNN, wrote that “CNN’s ratings at a nadir, and younger audiences turning to user-generated schlock on YouTube and TikTok for news.”

The Coming Talent Exodus

One of the biggest problems facing CNN is its bloated payroll. During Jeff Zucker’s time as boss, CNN stars got huge salaries that simply don’t match their drawing power.

For example, Anderson Cooper reportedly makes around $18 million per year. Yet Kaitlan Collins draws similar ratings at about “a fifth of the salary,” according to Byers’ reporting.

These kinds of numbers don’t add up for a network losing viewers and ad dollars. As one insider bluntly put it, CNN needs “palliative care” – a term usually used for patients near the end of life.

“Overall, you could reduce costs at CNN 50-60% with no change to ratings or revenue, and manage the decline from there, with increasing, annual cutbacks as you wind the company down,” the insider told Fox News.

What This Means for News Consumers

For regular Americans who just want honest news, CNN’s troubles show that the free market still works. When news outlets push agendas instead of reporting facts, viewers eventually walk away.

The network that once had James Earl Jones proudly announce “This is CNN” in his deep, trusted voice has lost much of that trust. While some at CNN resist this idea, the numbers don’t lie.

Will CNN change course and try to win back trust? Or will it continue down the same path as its parent company cuts costs and staff? Either way, the message is clear – in America, media companies that ignore what viewers want eventually pay the price.

For CNN, that price tag is coming due, and it’s going to be expensive. Perhaps they should have spent less time lecturing Americans about what to think and more time actually listening to them.

Key Takeaways

• Warner Bros. Discovery’s corporate split signals the beginning of CNN’s financial reckoning
• CNN’s ratings collapse shows Americans are rejecting biased news coverage
• Overpaid anchors and staff face massive cuts as new leadership prioritizes finances over ideology
• Free market accountability is finally catching up to CNN after years of declining viewership

Sources: Fox News