Jeff Bewkes Discuss CNN’s New Programming, Obama And MSNBC On Fox News

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by Colby Hall | 6:03 pm, October 6th, 2010

» 9 comments

There may be no greater friend to the current plight of American CEOs than Fox News host Neil Cavuto. His show is a welcome, safe and friendly environment for titans of many an industry to discuss the economy, future political plans and their own businesses. So it’s not terribly surprising to see Time-Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes show up on Fox News. What was rather surprising was the frank and candid way in which he discussed the recent managerial and programming changes at CNN, as well as the current cable news landscape.

Say what you want about Mr. Bewkes, but he is straight outta central casting when it comes to one of the most powerful media leaders in all the land. Cavuto did not demure in going straight for the current transformational time that CNN is currently enduring, and Bewkes respected the questions with honest, though surface appraisals of the newly launched Parker Spitzer, as well as CNN’s direction under newly named Ken Jautz.

Writing for TV Newser, Alex Weprin summed up an exchange regarding the depth of CNN’s balanced coverage:

Cavuto: What happened with head of CNN/US? [Jon Klein] did you recommend he be fired?

Bewkes: Jon did a very good job and a lot of what Jon did was done with the support and agreement of Jim [Walton] and me and I think we got to the point where we need to make a change and that is why we made this structural change… I don’t think it surprised him.

Cavuto: You were speaking to the London Telegraph not long ago, but when you talked about CNN, you said that it needs much deeper balanced coverage of the big issues to compete. What did you mean by that?

Bewkes: that is something that Fox might think about as well, which is a little more breadth of spectrum in terms of the issues that you cover. You may not want to do that but that is what we are trying to do at CNN. We think, by the way, there is plenty of room for all of us. I think CNN can continue to deepen the coverage that it is bringing to the issues, and we are very strong on breaking news, whether it is war, big events in the world, and elections where we had our high ratings with the elections a couple of years ago.

Cavuto: When you talked about balanced coverage did you say it leaned left? nowhere? or what?

Bewkes: We need to cover all sides of the issues. We have to get more in-depth and all of us, everyone in TV news and I am sure you have thought of this, there is a real challenge to keep what you are saying on TV–including what we are saying right now–keep it interesting, keep the audience from going to sleep and I hope they are not snoring as we talk and get into the issues. and besides the depth of the issue get all sides of the issue.

barack obama, CNN, eliot spitzer, fox news, Jeff Bewkes, Katleen Parker, msnbc, Neil Cavuto, Parker Spitzer

Arkansas Steve

Do your job well, Mr. Bewkes. We FOX lovers are very loyal, and also demanding. You can make a mistake now & then, but not two in a row.
Best wishes!
eingriff

Viva la Communist News Network!

At a local coffee house, I took clicker in hand and asked leave of the staff and customers to change the common (dead common) TV set from the Communist News Network. A customer objected strongly: “I’M a Communist! They care for people!”

I returned the clicker unused and tried to confirm in such situations that I’m not inconveniencing any flaming Communists.
gar

When CNN brings in some people that aren’t lapdogs for this administration their viewership will go up. I have more respect for MSNBC who doesn’t sugarcoat where they’re coming from than CNN who claims to be down the middle. When King and Blitzer went to lunch with Obama after one week in office the fix was in, and their reporting is tainted. Watch how many times Blitzer follows up a negative spin on the president with a defensive question.He’s so far up Obamas ass, if they gave the president a double enema he’d still be clinging to his intestines.
http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

@eigriff: Cute story, but you probably should be aware that often the tv running in the background of a business is part of an establishment’s brand identity, not just a random choice.

And to the average consumer, CNN dayside conveys neutrality and the name means news.
musiccityvic

eingriff said:
Viva la Communist News Network!

At a local coffee house, I took clicker in hand and asked leave of the staff and customers to change the common (dead common) TV set from the Communist News Network. A customer objected strongly: “I’M a Communist! They care for people!”

I returned the clicker unused and tried to confirm in such situations that I’m not inconveniencing any flaming Communists.

i just direct people like that to the book store and have them actually get a book about the history of communism and not what they hear from their numb-nut professor. I figure socialism and communism is barely touched on in high school nowadays as the progressives and unions have been successful in scrubbing history and presenting their agenda. So they are easily led. The awakening when someone actually reads how miserable communism, socialism, and facism is for society is remarkable.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Jones/1384303476 Chris Jones

Getting rid of dirty Sanchez was a good start. He was a leftist buffoon.
fallenchicken

It’s amazing to me how rightards think cnn is a liberal news station, just because Sean Hannity isn’t employed there.
eingriff

fallenchicken said:

It’s amazing to me how rightards think cnn is a liberal news station, just because Sean Hannity isn’t employed there.

None so blind as those who will not see.
eingriff

musiccityvic said

“i just direct people like that [Communists] to the book store . . . .”

Good references for serious students would be “The Black Book of Communism” by a group of European intellectuals and “Hoodwinked” by Jack Cashill.

The library and internet are also good places to hang out, and learn to distinguish the truth from leftist propaganda. You’re not likely to learn it in school.