Page 12 - aruba-today-20220326

a12 people & arts
Saturday 26 March 2022

Opening day: CNN+ streaming service

ready for launch Tuesday

such as "Anthony Bourdain:
Parts Unknown" and "RBG."
CNN+ will also emphasize
programs featuring people
who have a specific, de-
voted following, like Alison
Roman in cooking, Scott
Galloway in business and
Jemele Hill and Rex Chap-
man in sports and culture.
CNN's Anderson Cooper
will have a show on par-
enting, and Jake Tapper, a
seven-time author himself,
This undated image released by CNN+ shows Audie Cornish, will have a program focus-
weekly interview show “20 Questions” in May, on the new ing on books.
streaming service. Two online series will be
Associated Press available at launch: "The
Murdochs: Empire of Influ-
By DAVID BAUDER anyone says come and do ence," about media mogul
NEW YORK (AP) — Once what you do for us. It's usu- Rupert Murdoch, and "The
a familiar voice on NPR, ally, 'come and do what Land of the Giants: Titans
Audie Cornish says she we need.'" of Tech," profiles of the big-
signed on to the new CNN+ is a big swing, done gest high-tech firms.
CNN+ streaming service in at a tumultuous time in Also planned is an interac-
part out of the sense she the company's leadership, tive element where sub-
was helping to open a new and there's no shortage of scribers can put questions
frontier. skepticism in the industry directly to show hosts.
After much talk, nearly about its chances. But CNN News competitors are al-
$100 million in develop- views streaming as the fu- ready in the paid streaming
ment costs and some 500 ture, a way to engage space. Fox Nation, another
employees assigned to the younger consumers, and paid subscription service,
task — many, like Cornish, sees The New York Times as is designed to appeal to
new hires — CNN+ is set to the model for a successful those who like Fox's opin-
launch next Tuesday. news subscription service. ion programming. MSNBC
The company on Thursday It will cost $5.99 a month, recently announced that
revealed a typical day's but charter subscribers it will make many of its pro-
schedule, with a news can lock in a $2.99 monthly grams available through
countdown hosted by Kate charge in perpetuity if they Peacock.
Bolduan, a deep-dive news act within a month of the The ABC, CBS and NBC
hour hosted by Sara Sidner, launch. broadcast news divisions
a Chris Wallace interview "We think it will be incred- offer news streaming prod-
show, and hours on poli- ibly attractive to the CNN ucts for free.
tics, international news and fan, people who respond One analyst said CNN+
the media topped by Wolf to our journalism, people may receive a boost be-
Blitzer's evening newscast. who tune to us when there's cause the war in Ukraine is
"It's so rare to have a lega- something going on in the reminding many consum-
cy news organization pour world," said Andrew Morse, ers of the company's news
resources into something executive vice president muscles. CNN+ will be at-
like this, at this scale," said and chief digital officer at tractive to consumers who
Cornish, whose weekly in- CNN. "At its heart, CNN+ will are cutting the cable cord
terview show "20 Questions" be about great journalism but don't want to lose ac-
will debut in May. "A lot of and story-telling." cess to news and informa-
times people say they will While news is the core, and tion, said Alan Wolk, co-
pivot into something, and CNN+ will have the abil- founder of TVREV, a media
it can be half-hearted. I re- ity to go live on big sto- analysis firm.
ally appreciated that they ries, the service is also re- With questions about the
were going all-in." lying on a growing library future of cable news given
She said that it's "rare that of original series and films, its older audiences, CNN+
is the latest big step in the
news industry's seemingly
endless quest to reach
more young people, he
said.
Stephen Beck, manag-
ing partner of the consult-
ing firm cg42, said he's
concerned that CNN+ will
be caught in a consumer
squeeze. q