A Former CNN Staffer Weighs In

Last week, FTVLive told you that CNN’s new boss, Mark Thompson, wants to cut the salaries of CNN’s top-tier hosts.

We gave you our take on the matter.

Now, let’s hear from a former CNN employee and see what they say:

Hi Scott-

As a former employee at CNN, I can tell you that CNN's problems began way before Jeff Zucker.

Remember Rick Kaplan? The ABC guy who totally humiliated CNN with the "Tailwind" fiasco?

Kaplan pretended that CNN was a major network.

CNN is, and always has been, in the minor leagues.

The moment that CNN went off the rails was when Willow Bay (who?) was anchoring Moneyline. 

She was on the road doing some remote and called Kaplan to complain that CNN wasn't putting her up at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Up to this point, EVERYONE (executives, talent, producers, technical folks) stayed at the same hotel. The news was the star.

Of course, Mr. Major TV network, Kaplan, relented and agreed to put her up at the Four Seasons. He should have told her "We have a hotel budget of $180 per night, if you want to stay elsewhere, you'll have to make up the difference".

That was when the "separation of classes" started at CNN.

Anderson Cooper is a great anchor. He's a good guy and very easy to work with. 

When CNN started paying him multiple millions to anchor, management stated that they didn't want to lose him to the major networks.

As I stated earlier, CNN is in the minor leagues and should have always paid its talent as such.

As for Wolf, I completely agree with you. 

Wolf is a sweetheart. He's a very nice man with a great sense of humor. 

If Wolf could show his personality, instead of yelling at his viewers, he may be worth a few mil, but $15 million? That's $60k per day!!!

At that point, he's making thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars per spoken word.

Good luck to Mr. Thompson.

It sounds like he's on the right track, I'm just not sure he has time to fix the problem before it's too late.