Monday, October 03, 2005
Should AB Be Worried?
Philadelphia Inquirer's Gail Shister writes: "Should CNN's Aaron Brown be hearing Anderson Cooper's footsteps? The boss says no.
"There's no plan to slowly phase out Aaron," says CNN/U.S. president Jonathan Klein. "If I wanted to do that, I would just can him. He's doing a really good job."
Cooper, a rising star whose Katrina coverage has upped his luminescence, joined Brown's expanded 10 p.m. NewsNight as coanchor three weeks ago. Klein intends to keep him there. (Cooper will continue on 360 at 7 p.m.)
Cooper and Brown "are two sides of the same coin," says Klein. "Anderson is visceral. Aaron's cerebral. One makes you experience the story; the other helps you understand it. I like the chemistry there."
Klein may say he loves all his children equally, but it's clear he's betting on the suave, silver-haired Cooper to turn around CNN's ratings.
To wit:Cooper's executive producer,David Doss, will swap shows with NewsNight's Will Surratt beginning today. Ditto for some of the senior staff.
As for NewsNight's two-hour length and hurricane-driven subtitle, State of Emergency, Klein's in no hurry to change either one.
"I just want to focus on what kinds of stories we're covering. We'll have to see what every day brings. I'd rather have the stories dictate the title rather than the title dictate the stories."
Klein insists that the addition of Cooper, 38, is not a stunt to attract younger viewers. Nor is it part of a master plan to groom him to replace Brown, 56." MORE
"There's no plan to slowly phase out Aaron," says CNN/U.S. president Jonathan Klein. "If I wanted to do that, I would just can him. He's doing a really good job."
Cooper, a rising star whose Katrina coverage has upped his luminescence, joined Brown's expanded 10 p.m. NewsNight as coanchor three weeks ago. Klein intends to keep him there. (Cooper will continue on 360 at 7 p.m.)
Cooper and Brown "are two sides of the same coin," says Klein. "Anderson is visceral. Aaron's cerebral. One makes you experience the story; the other helps you understand it. I like the chemistry there."
Klein may say he loves all his children equally, but it's clear he's betting on the suave, silver-haired Cooper to turn around CNN's ratings.
To wit:Cooper's executive producer,David Doss, will swap shows with NewsNight's Will Surratt beginning today. Ditto for some of the senior staff.
As for NewsNight's two-hour length and hurricane-driven subtitle, State of Emergency, Klein's in no hurry to change either one.
"I just want to focus on what kinds of stories we're covering. We'll have to see what every day brings. I'd rather have the stories dictate the title rather than the title dictate the stories."
Klein insists that the addition of Cooper, 38, is not a stunt to attract younger viewers. Nor is it part of a master plan to groom him to replace Brown, 56." MORE
# posted by ATN @ 9:07 AM 
