CNN CEO Chris Licht continues to work to rebuild the network’s reputation and arrest falling ratings. Following a late December ratings report showing CNN viewership down 33% over the previous year, the network announced that comedian Bill Maher would be coming onto the network.
Maher’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” will be a part of CNN’s Friday night “CNN Tonight” lineup beginning Feb. 3, according to a statement from the network.
Semafor previously reported that Maher and CNN executives were in discussions regarding his moving to the network. Others considered included Jon Steward, Trevor Noah and Arsenio Hall.
Licht told the Los Angeles Times that bringing on Maher did not indicate he intended to “create a topical comedy show in prime time.”
Noting the challenges associated with such an undertaking, Licht said:
“I worked on a comedy show, and it took over 200 people to produce an actual comedy show. So no, I would not be so foolish as to, in one fell swoop, hurt the brand of comedy and news by trying to do a comedy show on CNN.”
Licht noted that in bringing Maher on, he was “casting a wide net to help broaden the appeal of our prime time” without alienating “our core audience of news junkies.”
Preemptively speaking to those who question the move, Licht said, “I would never do anything that would hurt the brand and reputation that we’re working so hard to restore.”
Licht added that network executives are also in “conversations with culturally relevant individuals from the worlds of entertainment, sports, and comedy who can bring fresh and unique perspectives to the news.”
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