CNN Turns 30, Quietly and Without Fanfare

By Marc Schneider Posted Jun 1st 2010 01:16PM

Does anyone enjoy turning 30? For many people, the milestone brings a sense of dread and that sinking feeling that your best days may be behind you. Well, CNN turns 30 today, and it's hard to imagine they don't feel the same way.

Ted Turner's ambitious Cable News Network aired its first broadcast on June 1, 1980, with a report by co-anchors David Walker and Lois Hart. In 2000, the network threw a huge party to celebrate its 20th birthday, but this time the network is passing the day without much fanfare.

Why so low-key? With viewers craving pundits and blowhards telling them exactly what they want to hear, the straight news-minded CNN has stuck to its guns -- you know, the news -- and lost.

Nonpartisan news reporting has gone the way of the Dodo. Ratings have plunged to new lows this year, with CNN's main hosts, Larry King and Anderson Cooper, shedding nearly half their audiences, according the New York Times.

The exodus of viewers has even cost the network one of its rising stars, Campbell Brown, who announced May 18 that "not enough people want to watch my program, and I owe it to myself and to CNN to get out of the way so that they can try something else."

The 24-hour news channel was a first on television, and for 16 years -- until the emergence of FOX News and MSNBC in 1996 -- it had a monopoly on the genre. In its heyday, viewers were glued to CNN for stories like the first Gulf War, major elections, the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger and, of course, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The network's ratings are bound to improve, but even if they don't, the network's founder promised its survival.

Speaking just before the network's launch, Turner promised, "We won't be signing off until the world ends. We'll be on, and we will cover the end of the world, live, and that will be our last event ... and when the end of the world comes, we'll play 'Nearer My God to Thee' before we sign off."

Inside the company, CNN president Jim Walton announced today that employees will be giving back with a program called Give 30 for 30. Every eligible staffer will be able to give a company-paid donation of $30 to a charity of his or her choice.

Tags: cnn

Comments

(129)

Tuesday 01 June

By David

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If CNN were to change the name to SIN veiwership would increase. But it would still be a SIN to watch.

By jopbop

If you knew you were dying, would you celebrate your birthday?

By stevie2405

Too Bad So Sad CNN,

You lean to the left so much you fall down...

By D

CNN IS GREAT IF YOU LEAN WAY TO THE LEFT......AMERICAN PUBLIC HAS KICKED THEM TO THE CURB

By airheadpalin

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FOX SLEAZE RIGHT WING NEWS.

By Praise the Lord

After having turned 46 this past Saturday I would LOVE to see 30 again! But Happy Birthday CNN! I wonder what ever happened to that Bobbie Batista? She had the most amazing eyes! No matter which news network you prefer, they wouldn't be here now if not for Ted Turner's brain child that became CNN.

By Me

What a piece ofs**t article. CNN is in the tank for progressives, not fair and balanced. Until they decide to do some honest reporting they will further their irrelivance

By CMM

To the author: if you believe CNN is "nonpartisan," I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.

By dodah001

CNN is a joke...They probably can't afford a Celebration, with their low viewership, and high priced leftist Journalists...If it wasn't for the fact that People in Medical Clinics or Hosps. aren't allowed to change the Channel of T.V. sets in Waiting Rooms, etc. their Viewing base would be even worse!

By stephanie

I am not clear why a station cannot just report the news without us needing to hear the their side. Just report it as is. Instead of trying to push any point but the facts. Oh yes could it be money is why they pick sides and not actualy report anything. Just opinions and like an A hole we all have one

By CC Merritt

I remember when CNN changed their format some 10 or more years ago, I just couldn't get used to the 'New' CNN and decided to watch other newscasts. If CNN went back to the older format that won viewers attention with the capturing 'In The Headlines'
it would bring back the loyal following they once had. In the days when channels 32 & 33 were CNN of different styles altogether. Now the two CNN channels seem (and have been for quite some time)seem too similar and, bottom line?
I Miss The Old CNN Headline News.
Bring It Back!

By Pam Carlson

CNN nonpartisan? Real news? Oh Please! Give me a break! - Fox news gives more balanced news than anyone. People have to remember that some shows on FOX are "opinion" shows and not news and the opinion shows are very reasonable.

By Scroatie

Insult tea partiers and they stop watching.And their friends stop watching,and their friend's friends stop watching. America is appalled at the liberal media's treatment of their friends.

By Janus

CNN is the most balanced of cable news networks and that's probably the reason their ratings are down. MSNBC has a left wing bias and Fox goes so far as to astroturf an anti government movement simply because that government is Democrat (all the while ignoring the fact that the problem with America is a broken system, not one party being any worse than the other). Personally, I don't watch news on television because I feel the internet does a better job at reporting the facts.

By Herb

The only people who think CNN is objective but FOX has a conservative bias are those on the political left. And, the only people who believe CNN is partial to the left and biased against the right are those on the political right. Anyone who thinks that a news media can be “fair and balanced” is delusional. It is impossible not to present a news story from some political perspective. Even the simple selection of what story to report reflects a bias as to what is important. In fact, the objective truth is somewhere between CNN and FOX. That's why I watch them all and make up my own mind. Those of you who only watch one particular news outlet are simply feeding yourselves with information that supports what you already believe. That’s not objective thinking; it’s just self-reinforcing. If you hated Bush, then you were partial to CNN and MSNBC. And if you hate Obama, then you love FOX News.

By Rocki

For one thing, CNN has dropped in ratings to a all time low. Do not feel sorry for them as there choice was to support the Obama camp and held back important news from the public. So you play the game and sometimes you lose. They lost. Tough cookies. So eat peanut butter and jam.

By PJ

CNN, hey a network, that will LIE, CHEAT, and cover for the BUTCHER in BAG-A-DAD. I just cant understand why it has such poor rattings. Who gives a RATS-AS.S about their last 30 years. No real intelligent person, watches it... I would RATHER watch RATHER,, at least he told good lies...

By Suzanne

the straight news-minded CNN has stuck to its guns -- you know, the news -- and lost.

Nonpartisan news reporting has gone the way of the Dodo

I almost spit out my teeth when I read this!! You must be high!! CNN non-partisan? Hahahaha! They absolutely lean to the left!! Give me a break! If there was a sraight news channel, I would watch it.... it is right or left and that includes CNN, FYI.... Thank you for the LARGE laugh!!

By Mr Kline

I can't remember the last time CNN actually reported NEWS, instead of telling me what to think about "news". But then again, I can't remember the last time I watched CNN. The sooner it's gone, the better.

By CCturner

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There is a 30th Anniversary party... in Washington D.C. for the CNN originals and other former CNN'ers and... Ted will be there.

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