Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes commented on the state of CNN this week: it’s time to “age down the network.”

This seems to sum up Bewkes’ and CNN President Jeff Zucker’s plans for CNN rather succinctly, because luring younger audiences is a key part of Time Warner’s plans for CNN’s upfront this year.

Part of its strategy to lure in new, younger viewers is a slate of original programming featuring popular subjects and faces. These include comedian W. Kamau Bell’s United Shades of America, which features Bell on a journey seeking diversity around the country; a new spiritual series called Believer by bestselling author Reza Aslan and the docuseries Race for the White House narrated by House of Cards’ Kevin Spacey.

CNN has also acquired five new documentary films for 2016, including one about the life of Steve Jobs. The goal, according to Bewkes, is “bringing in a new habit for younger people of watching CNN.”

As part of its strategy to attract more advertisers to the network, CNNgo will offer more personalized, real-time opportunities, with the 2016 election as a backbone of this plan.

CNN will present this as well as its plan for the coming year at its upfront presentation on May 13.

Read more at Ad Age and The Hollywood Reporter.

Brief Take: Cable’s original 24-hour news network has some work to do both to lure younger viewers and to remain relevant as a news source and a programming destination.

[Image courtesy of CNN]

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