I've been fighting off the temptation to mention the nosediving ratings of Piers Morgan's new show on CNN. But I surrendered this afternoon when the Nielsen folks revealed that Morgan dropped below half a million viewers Thursday night even with a bunch of crazed half-naked Kardashians sitting at the desk with him. Really. You can't break the half-million mark with Hollywood's most beloved trollops bragging about their boobs? (The scoop from Kim: "They're 100 percent real!" Kourtney, not so much.) And their sex tapes? (Poor Kim says she's embarrassed by hers, though not embarrassed enough to stop talking about it on national televison, though I guess you could argue that 498,000 viewers qualifies as a "national audience" only in someplace like the Togolese Republic, which may be where Piers Morgan is doing his next show.)
Talking about ratings in the first couple of weeks of a talk show is usually unfair; it takes a new one time to build an audience. But in Morgan's case, he's losing an audience. His show debuted on January 17 with 2.1 million viewers tuning in to see him chat up Oprah Winfrey. They were so impressed that almost half of them didn't return for day two.
Since then, Morgan's ratings fell every day except for a small upward blip last Tuesday when Rudy Giuliani was the guest. By the time the Kardashians had finished hyperventilating Thursday night, Morgan had lost more than three-quarters of the viewers he started with last week.
(Hey, you wanna know who's really enjoying reading this? Larry King. In its final six months, his show was averaging 613,000 viewers, was low enough to get him kicked off the air after 50 years in broadcasting. But it's about 20 percent bigger than Morgan's audience Thursday night.)
CNN, by the way, announced Friday that it has a new "managing editor," former Newsweek editor and NBC Washington bureau chief Mark Whitaker. His assignment, the network said, is "to create a more powerful and distinctive dialogue about the top news stories of the day." At the rate CNN is shedding viewers, though, the dialogue's going to have to be between cameramen and stagehands.
That picture of those ladies is disgusting :(
Posted by: William | January 28, 2011 at 05:53 PM
Piers keeps interrupting his guests. We're not watching to hear about what Piers thinks, we're watching to hear what the GUEST thinks.
Posted by: Joyce | January 28, 2011 at 05:56 PM
What on earth makes you think the Kardashians are ladies? ROFLMAO
Posted by: Bruce | January 28, 2011 at 05:58 PM
Cows.
Posted by: moovova | January 28, 2011 at 05:59 PM
that was an awesome write up
sadly, for some unknown reason, last night was the first and last time i flipped past it and paused on it for a moment or two
Posted by: josh | January 28, 2011 at 05:59 PM
Why are you watching CNN in the first place? All the cable news viewers are flocking to Fox News.....and the ratings proves this!
Posted by: JustAGuy | January 28, 2011 at 06:00 PM
I actually met Larry King a few times when he was on the Mutual Network many years ago. He was on the arrogant side (actually, off-the-road arrogant) and Piers seems to be following in his clodhoppers. Piers, if he lasts a year, will be relegated to the basement in the ratings. He's probably a nice guy. Just a lousy interviewer.
Posted by: matinva | January 28, 2011 at 06:04 PM
Great article! I wonder who was more embarrassed, the talentless Kardashians or smug Piers Morgan? Probably a trick question, neither are capable of embarrassment.
Posted by: Marty Cohn | January 28, 2011 at 06:04 PM
Is it just me? Am I alone in thinking that these Kardashian b*****s are perhaps the ugliest, fattest, sluttiest b*****s on Earth?
Posted by: MrLogical | January 28, 2011 at 06:06 PM
"That picture of those ladies is disgusting :("
If you're upset by the provocative nature of the pic then I understand but... I'd choose a differnt adjective.
Posted by: matt | January 28, 2011 at 06:08 PM
Good plan, CNN. Recruit someone from a dead lib mag like Newsweak to put a stake thru your heart.
It would be too much to suggest they follow success and try to emulate the only Fair and Balanced News Network.
The lib biased media can't just can't force themselves to be anything other than full of Demonrats appealing to demonrats.
Posted by: Barry Soetoro Kenyan | January 28, 2011 at 06:08 PM
Weren't it for their unexplainable stronghold on airport tv screens, CNN would have already folded in the US.
Posted by: Lunovis | January 28, 2011 at 06:11 PM
CNN has simply spent years messing in its own nest - poisoning the pool, as it were. And now, NOBODY'S going to watch it, no matter what they do. There's been no semblance of actual journalism, and a fawning following of whatever the Democrat party was saying at the moment -- that doesn't make for big ratings. Combine that with their determination to stick with a national embarrassment like Larry King for years and years past his usefulness, and they've simply driven away their audience.
Posted by: Missourimule | January 28, 2011 at 06:11 PM
they should shill for a carpet salesman.they would look better as a going out sale .
Posted by: tommy boy | January 28, 2011 at 06:12 PM
Piers Morgan is highly regarded as an interviewer in Great Britain, but I agree with an earlier commenter that he MUST stop interrupting his guests. I beecome so frustrated, I changed the channel. It's too bad. I expected better... much better.
Posted by: Toni | January 28, 2011 at 06:12 PM
I watched Piers Morgan's show for about 5 minutes on the first night.
Hey.... what's with the sperm bank pictures for this article?
Posted by: Chucky | January 28, 2011 at 06:12 PM
Pierce Who? CNN? Is that still on the air?
Posted by: Ray | January 28, 2011 at 06:13 PM
I agree that Piers interrupts his guests too much. They can't finish a sentence without him butting in. Back off, Piers, and let your guests talk. I have watched your show (depends on who the guest is) and enjoy it. But the butting in drives me crazy.
Posted by: Carol | January 28, 2011 at 06:14 PM
I met Larry King at a radio convention the night before he had his heart attack He was standing in front of the St. Francis hotel in San Fran smoking a cigarette and he was very nice to me. I thought he was a great interviewer just on a looser network.
Posted by: Bruce Stevens | January 28, 2011 at 06:16 PM
Here's an idea CNN:
Honest, Non Slanted Reporting instead of Leftist hogwash 24 hours a day.
Posted by: Jorge California | January 28, 2011 at 06:18 PM
I'd do either of the K girls.
Posted by: The Bert Dog | January 28, 2011 at 06:19 PM
The demographic that follows the Kardashian sisters are low-income, poorly educated females under age 35 who tend to be ethnic.
The Kardashian draw is that someone with a "hawt" appearance can make major money by essentially doing nothing other than clubbing.
So many have wondered how these Kardashian people have managed to stay in the public eye for so long despite having accomplished nothing.
A PR machine is one reason. Another is that fashion blogs and the tabloids feature Kardashian women wearing one outfit or another.
Its frustrating, but eventually they will be old enough to be ignored. Kim is 30 years old already.
Posted by: me.yahoo.com/a/O_KxsC1kjuGtCVui1ptswAhaiVqDjZmk8rA- | January 28, 2011 at 06:20 PM
Degenerates.
http://911essentials.com
Posted by: Aunt Bee | January 28, 2011 at 06:21 PM
And who is he up against on FOXNEWS? Good luck!
Posted by: riley | January 28, 2011 at 06:21 PM
I stopped watching the Communist News Network a decade ago. Don't put this all on the new guy. CNN is a joke as a whole. How could it be different with Ted Turner and Hanoi Jane with their hands on their wedding vegetables.
Posted by: JAG | January 28, 2011 at 06:22 PM
Trollops!! Yes, thank you for calling them trollops. I love that word!
Posted by: Cam | January 28, 2011 at 06:22 PM
- shitty interviewer ... soft-ball questions...
- giving up when he asks the 'big questions' and the guest refuses to answer...
- not pressing the guest when they give, time-wasting, evasive answers... like oprah on how much she is worth, her: i don't count it, him: then you don't know, her: oh, i know ... blah blah, should have ended with her: 'i have people who count it for me.'
- over-produced, all the angles and the cuts made me dizzy...
- saw oprah (boring, self-serving), clooney (fun), osteens (slickers, 'i don't judge', 'i don't understand'), dude calibrates his message to play both sides of the street...)
Posted by: bob | January 28, 2011 at 06:25 PM
All three K sisters appeared on The Joy Behar Show on CNN's sister network, HLN, about a month ago. So why book 'em again (well, two of them) on the Piers Morgan show? Makes no sense. Guess that's one reason the ratings drooped, er, dropped.
Posted by: zephyr | January 28, 2011 at 06:26 PM
Weren't the Kardashians just recently on Joy Behar's show on CNN? Why doesn't CNN just give them their on show. It is called the boob-tube, y'know?
Posted by: garvingroupie | January 28, 2011 at 06:26 PM
Piers Morgan once upon a time was "editor" of the Daily Mirror, Britain's trashiest tabloid. What did you expect from this moron?
Posted by: Eugene | January 28, 2011 at 06:28 PM
I watched him interview Condoleezza Rice and he was so rude and offensive towards her.
It disgusted me.
You might disagree with her world view.
But he treated her as if she was a Nazi war criminal.
While it isn't a shock that CNN hs hired another hate America first person... expecially now that Christiane Amanpour now spreads her hate on ABC....I'm sad to see it.
There are about 25 or 30 million women who are now voting and being educated in schools in Afganhistan and Iraq who might see Sec. Rice as a hero not a villan.
Posted by: bearcatvol | January 28, 2011 at 06:28 PM
I think one thing when I see these girls...Herpes
Posted by: patriot | January 28, 2011 at 06:31 PM
I was excited to hear that Piers was taking over for Larry King because all the marketing of his show talking about hard hitting, driven questions to guests with lots of surprises. Well! the only surprises are that Piers is throwing large soft balls, and letting the guests control the segments.
The Clooney team interview was just terrible television.
CNN, and Piers should stop thinking that the names of gusts will bring viewers.
Piers should stop sitting back in his chair and begin working for his salary. Has CNN tied his hands or is he doing himself?
Posted by: BBud | January 28, 2011 at 06:31 PM
Kudos to Glenn Garvin for this sharply entertaining review of Peirs Morgan. It was Gervais quality and thoroughly enjoyable.
Meanwhile, if airport lounge monitors weren't forced to show CNN, would they even have any viewers? They and MSNBC are the saddest jokes in broadcasting. Somebody, please, pull the plug on these patients and pass the savings onto my cable bill.
Posted by: Blue State Disgust | January 28, 2011 at 06:33 PM
I can't find out who is on the show ahead of time. If I'd known Rudy Giuliani was on, I would have definitely watched. The Kardashians? Hell no. What type of audience is he going for? He can't have it both ways. Intelligent adults, or stupid teen-agers? I also had no interest in Oprah. What is there to discover new about her-- that anyone cares about?
Posted by: lindana | January 28, 2011 at 06:34 PM
CNN failed pandering to liberals and now they can't scare up an audience pandering to beer-swilling trailer trash. Maybe they should try NEWS for a change. Just a thought.
Posted by: MQBitsko | January 28, 2011 at 06:37 PM
If he can get Rahm Emmanuel to come on his show, ratings will skyrocket. I dare say, Rahm is one interesting character. How the heck did he get on the ballot for Mayor of Chicago? The whole country wants to know.
Posted by: Bill J | January 28, 2011 at 06:39 PM
I used to consider myself a "citizen of the world" but have come to value my American origins more and more over the past several years. I personally am weary of having someone with a British (or, occasionally, Australian) accent on just about every show on U.S. tv -- news shows, game shows, reality show panels, and so on. Americans seem enamored of and overly impressed with such folks. Not me. Morgan is arrogant and smug -- I'm not impressed with his intellect (or lack thereof).
Posted by: Katie | January 28, 2011 at 06:40 PM
Who's Piers Morgan?
Posted by: Joe Mamma | January 28, 2011 at 06:40 PM
Maybe its time for Ted Turner to buy CNN back at fire sale prices....
I'd be over there in a heartbeat applying for a job.
Posted by: Richard Allen | January 28, 2011 at 06:40 PM
The world would be a far more boring place without trollops. Trollops don't riot or commit acts of violence. Trollops are pure fun! Other than the fact that they spread STDs (that's why penicillin was invented) disliking them is based purely on jealousy.
Posted by: Kim Kardashian | January 28, 2011 at 06:41 PM
What kind of friggin' name is Piers, anyway? Piers Pantywaist Morgan. Sorry, that last name does not fit. Too masculine. Maybe he should hyphenate it.
Posted by: manlyman | January 28, 2011 at 06:42 PM
It all went downhill when they took Jon Stewart's criticism to heart. A damn comedian and spitball shooter. Granted some think he is a Journalist. Maddow even copies his look. But they went from shows like Crossfire to apologizing for any gun metaphors.
Posted by: Emerald | January 28, 2011 at 06:46 PM
Slags.
http://911essentials.com
Posted by: Aunt Bee | January 28, 2011 at 06:47 PM
CNN? I thought that they were off the air. People still watch it?
Posted by: Perry | January 28, 2011 at 06:50 PM
I wonder how many viewers he would have if every airport in America turned off CNN?
Posted by: Philster | January 28, 2011 at 06:52 PM
Piers Morgan said in a recent interview that he’s been reading tabloids since he was seven years old and has “always wanted to be a journalist.” The problem is, when one sucks news at an early age from the teat of shock headlines, one has no idea what real journalism is. Thus, Morgan has a repugnant history as first a reporter for and then the editor of three notorious British tabloids. I don't think he'll EVER be able to wash the stink off himself from being mentored by Rupert Murdoch and Kelvin Mackenzie, both repulsive yellow journalists. Morgan calls himself a serious journalist, yet he spent over a decade lying, exaggerating and printing salacious rumors about the rich and famous at The Sun (1989–94); News of the World (1994–95); and the Daily Mirror (1995–04). Now he's trotting himself out as a quality but "dangerous" mainstream interviewer when he should be hunkering down to actually learn the ethics and skills of responsible journalists. Shame on CNN for hiring this disreputable and lame excuse for a journalist. It’s a sad day for journalism when Piers Morgan is considered mainstream.
Posted by: LibelFreeZone | January 28, 2011 at 06:53 PM
"If you haven't got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me."
- Alice Roosevelt Longworth
http://911essentials.com
Posted by: Aunt Bee | January 28, 2011 at 06:54 PM
I don't take sleeping pills anymore - 5 minutes of his show and I'm slumped over like George Michaels in the middle of traffic in his car
Posted by: Angrylocal | January 28, 2011 at 06:57 PM
If these bimbos were b;lowing piers I still wouldn't watch.
Posted by: Friar f*ck | January 28, 2011 at 06:57 PM