THIS IS CNN: Don Lemon goes berserker on Kaitlan Collins

La-Z-Boy-Worthy?

 

He is likely with CNN because they’re paying him the most money to do the least amount of work. That’s what THAT gig is. Airtime and just read the words and talk about the news.

The only other money maker would be his own talk show at 2 pm to fill time in syndication. However, Don is gay, Black and liberal — so the MAGAs won’t watch him and he’s had issues with female co-workers so everyone else won’t watch him at that hour.

Don probably think he’s interesting enough to carry a podcast but he’s be lucky to clear 2% on a podcast vs what CNN is likely paying him.
His options are rather limited — he’s not going back to local TV, too toxic for a regular morning show. Maybe MSNBC one day.

 

As for the Q-ratings, I tested about as close to off-the-charts in my previous markets and that was really gratifying. But it was from 13+ years it being really involved and visible and being a good guy.

This market is a little different. Going through focus groups for the next six weeks. I’d say a +400 line on whether they can me after the results — GMs and news directors can always steer the results to their liking. We’ll see. Love living here and the station is paying me an insane amount of compensation.

It’s weird. I reached what I consider the mountain top in my own career arc. Feel like a very successful, longtime MAC basketball coach who got the call up to, say, Colorado State and it’s a shitshow.

Who knows…. may be heading soon to the sports books - my true love.

 

Really appreciate the insights Ex. I was watching a "behind-the-scenes" series on Local News PBS did 10 or 15 years ago, maybe longer - and one of the "storylines" was the cute young woman anchor who was voted as the "sexiest anchor in Charlotte" by readers of the local alt weekly. She knew it wasn't good for her career. Its why you tend to see a lot of good-looking but "relateable" mom-types as lead anchors.

 

Relatability to the audience is so, so key.

I’ve raised two kids, I’m paying two college tuitions right now out of my pocket, drive a Nissan from a decade ago, shop at Aldi. But I live a similar life to my core audience. Local TV news is, generally, people who are economic middle class and lower. I’ve been there — I’ve struggled financially in this business until I was about 37 or 38. Bought and sold four houses. Volunteered in schools. I still get it.

Chemistry is so critical. My last co-anchor — and I’ve written about her here - was a dream. The total package. A mom of 3 but genius level IQ and sexy as hell but women loved her, too.

That’s not what I have here. A woman in her mid-30s who has never owned a home, never been in a long relationship, watches TikTok and Bumble in the breaks instead of reading her scripts. Goes “back home” every weekend instead of learning our market. Makes 125 or so and is always complaining in the newsroom about being broke and how much the vet bill is for her cat. 36 going on 19. It’s hard.

The best anchors are grown ups.

 

The Weather Channel is on at our house frequently and there's one of these on there now that drives me infrigginsane. It's like they're more interested in being a wannabe Kardashian than a professional.

 

Local television news was my first job post-college graduation, though I started in radio during high school.

What you stated above is one of the big reasons I lasted in television for about a year and we're talking late 1980s. Some of the dumbest young people I met then and since were/are in television news. They have little interest in journalism. They just want to be on TV!

 

How apropos that would be. If he joined Morning Joe, I'd sample it again (briefly) just for the entertainment value.

Read earlier today, Lemon is considering a lawsuit against Variety for reporting on his past poor behavior. The guy is a clown.

 

Every once in a while, I DO meet a young person out in the field who is an exception to what I said. It's a breath of fresh air. They are trying to grind, which I respect. Those rare exceptions I pull for. However, I suspect they get tired of the poor pay and move on to something more productive.

Couple of examples of malaprops during my year in TV. Shiite pronounced shit ... Organism pronounced orgasm. Both stated with straight face.

 

It’s nearly everywhere with the under 35 female crowd. TV news doesn’t get the A students anymore — the A students go to documentaries in Denmark when they’re 22 now.

It also shows in our news coverage. Very few “serious” journalists who can’t decipher the indictment or look through school tax rates. The business did it to itself, paying people low compensation but quietly dangling the carrot of “you’ll be on teevee!”

I was one of those. Convinced I could get to ESPN in my 20s. Only I didn’t. It was like a minor-league ball player who finally retires. Except I retired and went to news — never for a specific job goal, just to do good work and make more money.

Now I’m making incredible money but unsure how long they’ll keep me here. But it’s okay… I have no debt, I’ll soon be down to just one kid for college and the only other person I need to pay for in life is… me. Now I’m just stockpiling 401k contributions for 25 years from now. Hopefully that’ll continue.

I don’t need a new car. Don’t need a big house. Just want to do good work and get a little less stress.

Heck, if I moved to a state with legal sports betting and the TV jobs paid 25k less but was half the stress, I'd move and make the 25k up through the books... The Exmediahack Way.

 

But isn't that the thing supposedly that can get you hired - followers on social media? - becoming "a brand" - etc. etc. You see it in sports media too. They can get AI to write the scripts now - trust me its coming - and some nerd they can hire for pennies to do the reporting - but they need people to "sell" the news.