mountainave

May be an unpopular opinion in this thread among the love-to-hate-CNN-ers, but I think Licht has put together a strong product in CNN This Morning. It delivers the hard news with a light atmosphere that many have denounced ABC, NBC, and even CBS for turning away from in favor of tabloid fare and pop culture. I think moving Don Lemon to the morning on a roundtable show was a smart, creative move that reels in his excessive prime-time opining while still giving room for human perspective. Kaitlan Collins is an excellent political interviewer and Poppy Harlow has been a strong, personable anchor for years. The three clearly have good chemistry, too. I look forward to seeing how the show evolves over the next several months, including with a new set of its own. Licht, who is deeply experienced in launching and relaunching morning shows, is playing the long game and not obsessing over the day to day ratings like some folks here, as he acknowledged he recognizes it can take around a year for a show to start gaining its own footing.

They've had that for several weeks.

More overtures to Gayle King, this time to host a weekly interview show for CNN while remaining at CBS Mornings (like Anderson Cooper's arrangement, but in reverse): https://nypost.com/2023/01/31/cnn-wants-gayle-king-to-host-weekly-prime-time-show-report/ King's a phenomenal interviewer, but I remain skeptical that CNN would be able to successfully differentiate this show from Chris Wallace's weekly interview show.

I don't think Chris Licht, whose mandate is to make CNN distraction-free, is going to hire two major distractions.

Now confirmed by mainstream sources: https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/27/media/gma3-anchors-depart/index.html

I agree that if TJ was engaged in any form of relationship with a subordinate, direct or indirect, and didn't disclose it, that -- in combination with his multiple other workplace affairs -- taken together are grounds for termination. Regardless of the age of the subordinate, there is an inherent power dynamic in the workplace between a person in a position of power and a subordinate that justifies the reporting requirements most employers have. Separately, with the departures of Tom Llamas and now Cecilia Vega, the increasingly likely termination of Holmes, and the questionable future of Robach, ABC's talent bench has taken a major hit. That's a serious setback for a network's talent development. That leaves Linsey Davis and Whit Johnson as major players for now.

Derick Waller was behind the desk anchoring with Michelle this morning.

Take it with a grain of salt given the sources (Page Six, People, etc.), but those outlets are citing sources indicating TJ and Amy likely won't return to GMA3. https://pagesix.com/2023/01/13/amy-robach-t-j-holmes-likely-out-at-gma3-after-affair/ https://people.com/tv/amy-robach-tj-holmes-unlikely-to-return-for-gma3-have-not-been-terminated-source/? https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/t-j-holmes-amy-robach-133818053.html?

Barbara Walters has died. https://www.facebook.com/ABCNews/videos/831536031240779/

Would like to see an afternoon hour returned to Brianna Keilar.

Has nothing to do with that. Licht has a mandate to streamline operations and cut costs.

I can't explain the decision to bench them anymore than anyone else, but this went all the way to the level of Bob Iger, who's now back as Disney's CEO, so it was not made with haste. I'm certain they consulted with PR & Public Affairs, and knew the likelihood of external media attention. As I've previously said, I agree that relationships between non-subordinate colleagues are private matters so long as they don't become workplace matters. Godwin acknowledged that their behavior (as it is currently known) did not violate any policies. Still, it sounds like this became a serious workplace distraction once the affair was brought to light which is itself an issue executives must deal with as well. Moreover, Holmes and Robach surely had to meet with HR, Godwin, and perhaps others at the company, all of which is time consuming and distracting if you're also preparing for and hosting a show the same day. There may also be more to the story that we don't know, and the decision to bench for a few days may have also been a "warning shot" to Robach and Holmes to mind their behavior. All in all, many possibilities, but ABC is not the JV team and I'm willing to believe there was a fair rationale for the decision. They were not terminated. It would not surprise me to see them back on air on Monday.

Not uncommon for the bench reporters to be called up around Christmas, but this is earlier than usual and she is brand new. Good for her.

Very unlikely this would be addressed on air. If anything, through a statement or messages on their social media accounts. Importantly, this was (is) a relationship between two consenting adults who are not professionally subordinate to one another or in a position to influence the other's employment. Whether or not their relationship constituted an extramarital affair is unclear, but even if it did, it's not a situation for which a morality clause is typically invoked and is unlikely to affect either's employment with the company.

Camille Edwards was not promoted internally to WABC VP/ND. She was hired from WRC, the D.C. NBC affiliate.