CNN’s 1st Anchor: I ‘Yell at CNN’, Hope ‘New Ownership’ Brings Back News

For Tuesday’s first day on CNN+, Trustworthy Sources Everyday host Brian Stelter brought on CNN’s first two anchors Dave Walker and Lois Hart (a married couple) with the idea that they would tell some stories about the early days at the network and give advice to the hosts on their new streaming service. They did get some of that, but oh man, was it also embarrassing as Walker griped about CNN’s leanings with opinion content and Hart touted her influence in that direction.

“So, 42 years later, do the two of you – now happily retired – do you still watch CNN,” Stelter asked. He didn’t know the details of what he was inviting.

After announcing that they both still watch “all the time” like “everybody,” Walker disclosed that major difference: “I used to anchor at CNN, now I just yell at CNN.” “Everybody does that too, right,” Hart said as she laughed.

Stelter laughed as well and told Walker that he could simply e mail him his feedback and it would be appreciated. He then wanted to know how cable news has “evolved” and what their “impressions now versus when you were on the air?”

Again, Walker gave an answer Stelter probably didn’t like, that opinion has taken over and drowned out the news:

 

 

I believe that originally It was almost 99 percent news content.Talk shows were one of the evening programs. It was mainly the news. The main worry at that time was whether we would be able to feel 24 hours a day. We were able to, as it turned out. There was more news than we could handle.

It seems that as the cable news industry evolved, more completeness was added to it. It was more interesting to hear your opinion in the evenings. And I would say that’s the major difference now.

“But maybe with the new ownership that may revert to more just basic news coverage,” Walker hoped, likely citing reports that incoming network boss Chris Licht has said he wants CNN to return to “hard news” with less “red-hot liberal opining.”

Hart immediately joined the fray with her own story she wanted to spin Fox News, but it was inadvertently a hint that Hart was calling for CNN’s involvement with political sides.

According to her story, in the early days of the network, they asked everyone for “their ideas for how they would model CNN for the future.” And live with Stelter, Hart admitted she told them they needed to adopt a “point of view” with which to frame the news:

So I made a note and said that CNN doesn’t have a point. And I didn’t necessarily mean that it had to have a political point of view, but I thought it needed some sort of point of view.

So, it’s the 20th anniversary, one of the executives comes running up to me waving this piece of paper that I had written, you know, 20 years ago.

“So, I don’t know, it’s kind of interesting that in the years after CNN was founded, that the subsequent networks – we won’t mention which one – went way over the line with that one,”As if Fox had said something, she exhaled.

“Sometimes. Sometimes, that’s true,” Stelter simply responded, perhaps shocked.

You can find the transcript below. To read it, please click on “expand”.

CNN+’s Trustworthy Sources Everyday
March 29, 2022

(…)

BRIAN STELTER: So, 42 years later, do the two of you – now happily retired – do you still watch CNN?

DAVE WALKER: Always.

LOIS HART : Yes! Everyone watches CNN.

WALKER: Here’s the difference though. Here’s the difference though. I was once an anchor for CNN. Now I just shout at CNN.

[Laughter]

HART: It’s something that everyone does, right?

STELTER: Dave, you can e-mail me. It’ll be great feedback. We’ll take your feedback anytime.

[Laughter]

WALKER: Okay.

STELTER: What do you think of the evolution or devolution in cable news and streaming news? Compare your perceptions of the news now to what you saw when you first heard it on TV.

WALKER : It was almost 99 percent of news content originally. We had a couple of evening programs, including talk shows. It was mainly the news. The main worry at that time was whether we would be able to feel 24 hours a day. We were able to, as it turned out. There was more news than we could handle.

My opinion is that cable news has evolved to include more complete content, especially in the evening. And I would say that’s the major difference now. Maybe the news will revert back to basic coverage with new ownership. I don’t know.

HART: I’ll tell you a true story. You can find the 20Th reunion, one of the executives had – many years ago – asked everybody’s ideas about where CNN could change or what they would – how they would alter it. This was early in the process, perhaps within the first few years. Everyone had to send in their suggestions for CNN’s future models.

So I made a note about CNN’s lack of a viewpoint. And I didn’t necessarily mean That it had to have a political point of view, but I thought it needed some sort of point of view.

So, it’s the 20thAn anniversary comes and a senior executive runs up to me, waving a piece of paper that I had written 20 years earlier. So, I don’t know, it’s kind of interesting that in the years after CNN founded, that the subsequent networks – we won’t mention which one – went way over the line with that one.

It’s what it is.

STELTER: Sometimes. Sometimes, that’s true.

(…)

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