Seeking to reverse declining ratings, CNN's top executive approached Sony television officials to check on the chances of airing a game show on the network that pioneered the 24-hour news cycle.
Jeff Zucker, former head of NBC who took over CNN two years ago, sent an email to John Weiser, president of Sony Pictures Television Distribution, to promote the idea of a news-themed quiz show modeled after the popular Jeopardy, according to emails leaked in the Sony hacking scandal.
Radar Online reported this week that Zucker in October contacted Weiser, who pooh-poohed the idea in an email to Steve Mosko, president of Sony Pictures Television.
"Steve, I met with Zucker this week and he asked if we would consider doing political jeopardy show for cnn. I’m guessing it’s a non starter but wanted to ask you how to respond to him," Weiser wrote.
There are no other hacked emails that describe the outcome of the discussion. But the matter underscores how Zucker has been reinventing the network by adding reality-based shows to its news programming, as
Huffington Post reports.
CNN just renewed the shows, "Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown," "Somebody’s Gotta Do It with Mike Rowe" and "This Is Life with Lisa Ling."
The cable news station founded in 1980 has been fast losing viewership to Fox News, which tops the ratings among the news shows.
"For the third quarter of 2014, Fox News not only humiliated its left-wing cable news counterparts at CNN and MSNBC during the all-important primetime hours, Fox News also beat all of cable — all hundred or so cable channels, including perennial winners ESPN and USA. THR rightly describes this as a ‘historic cable ratings victory,'"
Brietbart writes.