‘CNN This Morning’ has failed ‘chemistry test’ under CEO Chris Licht
The Don Lemon debacle is just one of CNN’s current woes behind the scenes, we hear.
Several sources and insiders believe the network’s new boss, Chris Licht, is a “disaster” — and that one of his biggest failures is rushing the launch of “CNN This Morning,” which is the network’s lowest-rated morning show in a decade, according to The Wrap.
Licht lured Lemon from primetime with a heftier deal, placing him with Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins — who quickly rose to stardom at the network covering former President Donald Trump’s administration.
The trio, however, has failed the chemistry test, with one insider describing the show as “unwatchable.”
“No one agrees with Chris. No one’s talking about the real problem, how [his plan] imploded in the evenings and now the network is a disaster, a complete dumpster fire, with so many people fired, laid-off, and they’re pumping out stories about Don,” the insider said.
Lemon didn’t do himself any favors on Thursday’s broadcast when he “put his foot in his mouth,” and alienated female viewers by repeating a sexist idea that “a woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”
Another source told us Lemon was just pulling from former CNN boss Jeff Zucker’s playbook, who they claim, “fed [talent] a daily diet of ‘be provocative.'”
“I think Don got caught up. He’s trying to find his identity on this show, and he was trying to be provocative. No way he believes that, but it was so dumb for him to say it — even if he thought he was trying to make some point,” they said.
Lemon apologized to his co-workers in a morning call on Friday, explaining, “I was trying to make the point that no one’s age — not a man’s or a woman’s — should define their ambition or potential for success at anything and I was saying those comments to Nikki Haley, not my cohosts.”
Licht doubled down on the outrage, saying on the call: “Don and I have spoken at length. He knows I’m disappointed. His remarks were upsetting, unacceptable and unfair to his co-hosts and ultimately a huge distraction to the great work of this organization.”
A third source told us, “it’s 100-percent false” that Licht made Lemon hop on the phone to apologize to his colleagues. “The idea that he made Don do it, is the furthest thing from the truth. It’s being spun and it’s all so odd… No one’s [at the network] ever had an issue with Don being sexist.”
Our second source believes Licht is milking the outrage. “They’re leaking stories about him being the big mean toxic guy yelling.” The source added [this] is so far from who he is.”
Meanwhile, we’re told Lemon is finding it hard to trust his colleagues after stories leaked about an alleged altercation between him and Collins that left the crew “rattled” back in December.
“It’s [weird] that they’re put in that position. What happens on the show doesn’t even feel like a big deal. No one reacts to it in the studio. It’s a high pressure environment,” the third source said.
A TV insider even believes it was a bad idea for Licht to place Collins with Lemon and Harlow because it “diminished her role as a hard hitting political reporter.” “It’s misguided. A chummy morning show doesn’t let her shine,” the source said.
Ratings at the network have hit an all-time low, and morale at CNN is also low and “no one feels safe” about their jobs, a source said.
“CNN is in big trouble. The network is in really bad shape and the format doesn’t work. They’re not going to continue paying Don all that money for a failing show,” the TV insider said.
“The reason people are leaking is because they’re upset and eager to talk. No one agrees with Chris Licht. It’s good they’re not bashing Trump all the time, but the new direction is not great,” they added.
Still, our first source told us Lemon, “went in wanting to make it work and he still does, but he knows they’re after him.”
A spokesperson for CNN told us, “the premise of this story is false and completely absurd.”
“CNN will not be distracted by speculation that defies logic,” they said.
