New low for CNN’s ‘New Day’ as morning show continues to struggle
‘New Day’ drew smallest audience of 2021 on Friday
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CNN’s long-struggling morning show "New Day" continues to hamper the liberal network with disappointing viewership, hitting a new low last week.
"New Day" averaged only 346,000 viewers on Friday to kick off the fourth quarter of 2021 with its lowest-rated program of the year after a dismal summer.
CNN’s morning show "New Day" has struggled to attract viewers since Brianna Keilar joined the program in April.
"New Day" recently finished the third quarter with its smallest audience since 2014. The hapless morning show averaged only 444,000 viewers to finish as the No. 42 cable news program, behind dozens of Fox News and MSNBC offerings that air during less desirable timeslots.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CNN’s flagship morning show also had a hard time attracting viewers from the category most coveted by advertisers during the third quarter. "New Day" averaged only 90,000 viewers in the key news demographic of adults age 25-54, finishing as the No. 39 cable news program in the crucial category.
FOX NEWS CHANNEL WILL MARK 25TH ANNIVERSARY ATOP BASIC CABLE AFTER DOMINANT THIRD QUARTER
The trend continued to Friday, as "New Day" attracted only 59,000 viewers from the advertiser-coveted demo on October 1.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"New Day" was supposed to emerge as CNN’s prize program when CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker launched it in 2013, shortly after he took control of the network. Broadcast production trade publications praised the show’s elaborate set design and CNN even enlisted pop music superstar Alicia Keys to perform a promo jingle ahead of its widely publicized debut.
Zucker, who was once considered a morning show guru for his time running NBC’s "Today," has been unable to replicate the success at CNN.
CNN BOSS JEFF ZUCKER, FORMER KING OF MORNING SHOWS, CAN’T FIX ‘NEW DAY’ DISASTER
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"New Day" has relaunched with new anchors multiple times and struggled to gain relevancy. Original hosts Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan and Michaela Pereira are gone, and longtime co-anchor Alisyn Camerota was replaced earlier this year by outspoken Brianna Keilar, who now shares the anchor desk with John Berman.
Keilar has become known for a partisan approach that is typically reserved for primetime opinion programming. In April, executive producer Eric Hall told Variety that the morning show would play to Keilar’s strengths.
"Being blunt, being candid … calling a spade a spade," Hall said when explaining his vision for the relaunched program.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Keilar’s style hasn’t resonated with potential "New Day" viewers despite Zucker’s most recent attempt to resuscitate his struggling morning program.