The cable news business seems to be in a self-congratulatory mood even as it faces it "some very sobering realities," writes George Winslow in
Multichannel News--including slower audience
growth and a need to reach younger viewers. First, the good news: With Fox ready to celebrate its 10th anniversary in October, it is the clear market leader, with ratings that double CNN's. MSNBC,
also hitting the decade mark, has seen prime-time audience in the 25 to 54 climb 24 percent this year while CNN posted some nice ratings bumps in May. But they may be gaining the whole world even as
they lose their souls, notes one observer. "When Ted Turner started CNN, he said there wouldn't be any stars; the news would be the star," says Linda Ellerbee, anchor of Nick News. "The idea was to
turn on the camera and let the viewers see what was happening in the world. Now cable news is dominated by stars. They rarely turn on the camera and let you see what's happening. . . . That's very
entertaining and very profitable, but it blurs the line between opinion and fact."
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