Hair Loss
Just 14 months after tapping former Viacom news vp Princell Hair to run things, CNN hired former CBS News exec Jonathan Klein as pres, CNN/US. CNN News Group pres John Walton said the net "felt we needed to get some new thinking in [regarding] the strategic direction." In a departure, Klein will be based in NY instead of Atlanta, but Walton says there are no plans to move the net’s HQ. Hair becomes svp, program/talent dev, CNN News Group. Taking a page from the Walton playbook, Klein spent most of a conference call Mon talking about the importance of "storytelling," but fell short of saying there would be more long-form docs on CNN. Walton downplayed comparisons to Fox News by saying its viewers aren’t leaving CNN; they’re dropping the broadcasters for Fox, he insisted. Here’s a wrinkle, Walton’s begun using the R word, admitting Klein’s biggest focus will be to increase prime-time ratings.