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This AP article outlines some of CNN’s plans for the coming year.

Thankfully the network does not plan on “gavel-to-gavel” coverage of celebrity trials, will somewhat extensively cover the Party Conventions and seeks to be judicious in calling elections by exit polls.

The latter is all that can be hoped after the 2000 election debacle in which Florida was awarded to Gore, then taken from Gore, then given to Bush and then remained in a quasi-state of Bush to Neutral until the whole vote counting controversy settled itself.

As earthshattering as it might be to read one media outlet talking about another without sickening self-rerence, CNN’s newfound committment to caution allows the writer a quote which I’m sure the editors were loath to allow:

“We’re happy to hitch our star to The Associated Press, which has done consistently a terrific job,” said CNN’s Judy Woodruff, host of “Inside Politics.” She said the AP is taking the lead this year, serving as a “neutral, central point.”

I’m sure Nedra Pickler has a counter argument ready. It is probably along the lines of, “When Judy Woodruff says the AP is neutral she fails to mention that I (Nedra Pickler) write for the AP”.

Of course, no discussion of CNN could be any way complete without mention of that 900 lbs. elephant Fox News. There are many reasons Fox News has overtaken CNN, but the article introduces one that hadn’t occurred to me.

Much of CNN’s programming is arranged such that viewers build a loyalty to the channel rather than any particular timeslotted show. While this may have helped build the CNN brand, it casts a pall of homogenity on much of the channel’s broadcasts.

This programming style directly hurts the channel’s ratings. Viewers can turn in for a “taste”, learn the relevent news and surf off their merry way, perhaps to Fox News. Viewers don’t stay tuned in for the 5 minutes required to count in the ratings. Perhaps the ubiquitous low-screen crawl actually hurts CNN in this regard.

Fox’s programming is more akin to traditional event television. The O’Reilly Factor and whatnot build viewerships per show rather than for the channel as a whole. Viewers will turn in for however long O’Reilly is taling and will more likely be counted as a viewer. This effect may explain the high ratings of a show on CNN like Larry King’s which is event time slotted in much the same way.

CNN’s best solution would be to hire distinctive voices and let them run their mouths for this hour or that. I’m not saying this will make better televison. In fact, I think it will probably degrade the quality of the network. Just watch Lou Dobbs. Actually, don’t bother; you’ll be happier. I think it would drive up ratings though.

In the end, Fox News will probably remain the in the lead for the same reason Jerry Springerish shows will always retain some semblance of ratings. There is a built in audience for this kind of thing. It may be fairly small, it may be a bit ugly but its niche marketing purchasing a percentage.

All hail the market leaders, for they have maximized a potential that maybe didn’t need to be maximized in the first place.

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