CNN Plans Prime-Time Shakeup

Jeff Zucker

There are some big changes in the works at CNN, with President Jeff Zucker planning to shake up prime time and to overall have less news on the channel that pioneered cable news, and more non-news series and films.

In an interview with Capital New York, Zucker, who took control of CNN in January, said he's looking beyond traditional cable news viewers, whose numbers aren't growing.

He explained, "I'm not trying to alienate that audience. . . . We also want to broaden what people can expect from CNN."

He says he wants to attract, quote, "viewers who are watching places like Discovery and History and Nat Geo and A&E."

Zucker said he'd initially faced internal resistance to the idea, but had great evidence of the potential of his plans: the success of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, the travel-adventure show featuring celebrity chef Bourdain that's CNN's current Number One show.