Soundbite: CNN’s Prime Time Spin From The Top

“People hear what’s being said and it’s branded CNN and (they say), `OK, that’s news. That’s nonpartisan, that’s factual, it’s timely. That’s what we want to deliver around the world. We compete against a lot more than Fox and MSNBC.”

— Jim Walton, President of CNN Worldwide, in an AP article about the network’s sagging prime time ratings and overall strategy.

Walton continued to hammer home a point made by other CNN executives as the prime time numbers drop – the lower ratings are not affecting the bottom line. “But the fact is, (CNN) is a vibrant, healthy company that’s growing in an industry where we’re pretty much one of one,” he says.

Still, ultimately, Walton asks the rhetorical question CNN must be wondering as an entire entity: “Will people sit down in the evening and find news reporting interesting?” As FNC, MSNBC and HLN cement their place in the prime time universe, the jury is still out.

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