Lip Reader Needed as CNN Audio Feed Cuts Out for Awkwardly Long Time

CNN teased a preview of Jake Tapper’s new weekend special on Friday afternoon, but the audience at home needed a lip reader to understand him – thanks to some serious technical issues.

At the end of Friday’s edition of The Arena with Kasie Hunt, Tapper spoke for 56 seconds with only Hunt and her production team able to hear him.

Hunt ended her week by teasing a new episode of Tapper’s The United States of Scandal – a riveting show. Tapper almost certainly had something profound about to say about the Enron scandal, but due to an audio issue, CNN aired nearly a full minute of him on mute.

Hunt compounded the awkwardness of the moment at one point when she laughed at something Tapper said that the audience was not privy to.

Whatever it was, Hunt laughed out loud.

After Tapper had finished previewing his weekend special, Hunt thanked him.

“Really? Well, Jake, thank you,” she said. “I’m excited to see it.”

With Tapper still speaking but muted, Hunt handed off the network to him for The Lead, but his video cut off. The only audio provided was of Hunt thanking her production team.

“Guys, thank you so much. That was great,” Hunt said as multiple people around her spoke inaudibly.

The Lead then aired with Tapper mid-sentence, and the rest of the show went off without a hitch.

Hunt, apparently unaware that her off-the-cuff comments to her staff were being broadcast to the world, treated everyone with professionalism and warmth.

In an industry where lower-level staffers can find themselves walking on eggshells around on-air talent, Hunt appears to have fostered a working environment built on mutual respect.

Tapper, tech issues aside, has been firing off some great weekend TV. Unfortunately, no teasers made their way to CNN’s audience Friday afternoon on Hunt’s show.

People interested in seeing his deep dive into the fraud that took down former American energy giant Enron will have to wait until Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.

Watch above via CNN.