AM’s “Open Marriage”?

Or, pre-separation spousal “infidelities” by American Morning co-hosts Kiran Chetry and John Roberts? For six straight shows, the two have not been seen together on AM and have been coupled with other partners. (Last Wednesday, it was Kiran and Drew Griffin; Thursday and Friday, John and Christine Romans; this Monday, John and Carol Costello; and Tuesday and today, Kiran and Jim Acosta.) Like cable news watchers at Carpe Diem (March 4), TheWrap.com (March 10),  Miami Herald (March 11), and Meidiaite.com (March 12), AM viewers are beginning to wonder what is going on.

Apparently, some of the AM anchors are also asking questions. For example, filling in for Kiran Monday, Carol Costello queried, “Where is Kiran this morning?” Acting like a cuckold lover, co-anchor John sheepishly shrugged and stammered, “I, I’m not my TV wife’s keeper. She, she has another husband, she has another husband who takes care of that on the weekend.” To which, a chortling Carol replied, “Smart man. That’s right. He [Chris Knowles] needs to worry about her this morning.”*

Perhaps, the AM audience should be worried, too–not only about Kiran, but about John as well. According to Inside Cable News (April 12), FTVLive has revealed that “un-named insiders [are] spilling dirt that CNN is going to make wholesale changes to American Morning that could see one or both hosts removed from the program.” If the six programs of American Morning are any indication, CNN may well have begun the auditioning process.

* American Morning – 05/17/10 (@5:59 a.m ET)

A.M.: AmeriCANNED Morning?

The steady drumbeat of doom continues to eerily echo in the early American Morning air. Today Mediate.com‘s Steve Krakauer authored an article entitled, “Is It Time for Changes at CNN’s American Morning?” (Over a week ago, Carpe Diem had similarly asked, “AM: Shake-up Looming?“) Krakauer cited Dylan Stableford’s TheWrap.com’s Wednesday piece dubbed, “Exclusive: CNN Developing Morning Show” as to CNN creating a “Fox & Friends” pilot to suggest that changes are imminent for CNN’s morning show. In making his case, Krakauer explains the import of AM‘s dismal ratings when he notes that  not only does sister network HLN’s Morning Express with Meade A25-54 demo ratings surpass those of AM, but also FNC’s Fox and Friends A25-54 demographic exceeds AM’s total viewers.

After Krakauer had presented a quite cogent argument as to the probable change, he mentioned that AM co-host Kiran Chetry was “another element.” He keenly queried, “Would a change at CNN in the morning coincide with her contract being up?” Remarking that CNN would not comment, he asserted that others yesterday had and linked to “Another Sinking Show at CNN” by author Glenn Garvin of the Miami Herald’s blog.

The demise of CNN’s American Morning, or, at least, the current format is long overdue. When CNN/US prez took the reins from Soledad O’Brien and Miles O’Brien and gave them to Kiran Chetry and John Roberts, he simply put new “new wine into old wineskins.” And, Fox & Friends‘ superior formula of news with a fun, flirty, and friendly approach continued to win the day convincingly over AM‘s stale recipe of the latest with a staid, distant, and supercilious style.

If Klein indeed revamps his early morning show, perhaps, there is yet hope yet for his anemic evening lineup.

Dead Show Airing?

A.M.: R.I.P.? After noting that American Morning co-hosts John Roberts and Kiran Chetry have seldom been seen behind the AM desk together lately and that a host of substitute co-anchors have been paraded before the AM audience, last week Carpe Diem asked, “AM: Shake-up Looming?” Yesterday, TheWrap.com answered in the affirmative–or, at least, indicated that it appears to be in the works. According to media expert Dylan Stableford (former Mediabistro.com managing editor and contributor to Salon, New York, and Rolling Stone), an inside source indicated that “CNN is testing a concept that would include personalities with dueling political ideologies and opinions” for “a new morning show pilot.”

Apparently, CNN/US prez Jon Klein has finally taken the blinders off. After trying to revitalize American Morning’s anemic ratings three years ago by bringing in seasoned journalist John Roberts and Fox News’ rising star Kiran Chetry, Klein’s endeavor has met with dismal disappointment. In fact, based on TVbytheNumbers.com’s figures and the author’s calculations, the total viewer ratings of 2010 (1st quarter) are identical to those of 2007 (1st quarter). Even more troubling, TheWrap.com reports that Nielsen numbers show that AM has declined 30% in 2010 in both total viewers and the prized 25-54 demographic.

According to Stableford, it is unclear what the purported changes mean for Roberts or Chetry. In the last few weeks, Roberts has been temped for by T.J. Holmes, Jim Acosta, and Christine Romans whereas Chetry has been filled in for by Sara Sidner and Kate Bolduan. In doing so, Klein has seemed to substitute AM regulars for Roberts and new faces for Chetry. Perhaps, he will keep this part of his formula but acribe to a more provocative, zanier, and, yes, “Friendlier” approach. [N.B. Roger Ailes’ Fox & Friends shellacked Klein’s American Morning by 4:1 (overall viewers) and by 3:1 (25-34 demog) in the latest numbers (03/09/10)]

As to Roberts and Chetry’s respective futures, a Klein canning could actually inure to their benefit ultimately. Roberts would be in a position to stake his claim anew to Uncle Walter’s seat if the old Tiffany network does not renew Katie Couric’s costly contract. And, Chetry may finally find redemption with her many fans at the top-rating cable news network if she is but granted Ailes’ absolution.

[Author’s aside: Since Chetry’s absences have been fewer than those of Roberts, Klein may be considering whether to keep Chetry. If so, he could use the former Fox & Friends (First & Weekend) co-host to guide CNN’s version of FNC’s morning news juggernaut.]

Hat tip to J$P (Johnny Dollar’s Place).