So I had heard that CNN wanted to relocate their morning show, appropriately titled, American Morning, from its current set with all the pretty windows that front on a New York street. Apparently a set with windows just isn’t serious enough for CNN, so a windowless room it is. At any rate, I tuned in this morning and it looked like the AM gang has relocated to something that was left over from Laugh In - the darn thing even came complete with poka dots. I’m guessing this isn’t the new set - since it looks like the old set, just with tie died curtains covering the windows, but it sure didn’t make me feel like I was watching a serious news show. Instead all I felt was queasy and claustrophobic. I ended up having to change the channel to Good Morning America; ironically the light shining in from their picture windows didn’t make the show seem less newsy. It seems like everything CNN does these days they manage to screw up. I’m not sure if the current AM set is a temp or not, but would the windows have been so bad for a few more weeks until the new set was done? If this is the new set, it won’t last long, because my guess is that it will turn current viewers away as opposed to bringing new ones in. Speaking of sets, what the heck is up with that new Wolf Blitzer show, The Situation Room? The poor guy just stands around in front of a giant video display. Is that supposed to make us take Wolf more seriously? Wolf looks like he should be giving a weather forecast, not reporting on Iraq. He also spends half of his time looking at this giant screen - with his back to the camera. Yep, somebody really gave that one some thought. Sorry CNN, it isn’t your sets that are going to save you, although they may help to propel you more quickly on your current downward spiral. The only thing that is going to refloat that sinking ship is for you to spend some money on some real anchors - maybe ones with a wee bit of credibility. You can put up as many recycled poka dot sets as you want, but as long as the low-rent talent keeps showing up on them, people are going to keep changing the channel to one the features anchors that they respect. CNN might be “the most trusted name in news”, but you can’t say the same about most of the anchors.

¶ 8/23/2005 09:49:00 PM

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