Turner Broadcasting CEO Phil Kent reacted to CNN's growing crisis on Thursday, admitting that he was "very unhappy" with the dismal ratings and hinting at plans for improvement.
CNN hit a twenty-year ratings low for total viewers in primetime, it was reported on Wednesday. Kent addressed the news while speaking at a media summit the next day, according to Broadcasting & Cable.
He attributed the network's poor performance to a slow news cycle, and what he called "self-inflicted" causes. He admitted, "we haven't put the best shows on the air."
However, he also defended CNN's primetime lineup as having "very high potential." He praised Anderson Cooper, and stood by Erin Burnett and Piers Morgan, whose shows saw particularly bleak results in May.
Kent called Morgan "a tremendous interviewer," noting that the show does better when he sits down with newsmakers. He also acknowledged that Burnett's show "should be doing better," but described her as "a great get" for CNN.
It seems that CNN is in store for a huge shake-up as it figures out how to turn the situation around. Kent hinted at some changes in the works, saying, "we have some other shows that probably need to be replaced."
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