Part 7/9:
As CNN’s ratings continue to slip, they reflect more than just Collins’ individual impact; they signal a larger trend that has plagued the network post-election. Once averaging around 800,000 viewers, her numbers have now plummeted to an alarming 570,000. Comparatively, her total weekly ratings barely stack up to the viewership of a single episode of Fox News’ popular ‘The Five’.
Even more troubling for CNN was the revelation that reruns of “Real Time with Bill Maher,” a previously aired program from HBO, are outpacing Collins’ original programming. This situation begs the question: what has become of CNN’s identity?