CNN’s Chris Cuomo’s resignation is the latest example of television news disorder.
The 7pm ET slot on Fox News has been home to a rotating cast of hosts for nearly a year. MSNBC will soon need a new host due to the departure of Brian Williams at 11 p.m. Early next year, 21:00 MSNBC will also need a new host as Rachel Maddow retires from her day job. And now the 21:00 CNN slot is suddenly empty.
It’s a very tumultuous time for the major cable news players as business models and broadcast wars come under pressure. Now, here’s the latest news on Cuomo…
Chris Cuomo’s firing on Saturday, understandably, caught many people off guard. On “reliable” Sunday, I spent six minutes setting up.
Daily history, from the dumping of documents on Monday to the decision on Saturday. Key details: CNN hired the Cravath Law Firm to review documents related to Cuomo. Krauth’s findings came out Friday and were enough for CNN to fire Cuomo.
During this legal review, Debra Katz, an attorney who specializes in harassment and discrimination cases, contacted CNN on behalf of an anonymous client who had alleged “serious sexual misconduct” years ago, when Cuomo worked at ABC. That complaint was the “additional information” CNN was referring to when it said Cuomo was fired Saturday night.
“Based on the report we received about Chris’s conduct with his brother’s defense, we had reason to terminate him,” a CNN spokesperson said. “When we received new complaints this week, we took them seriously and saw no reason to delay immediate action.”
The end of
My report: It was a case of death by a thousand cuts. Cuomo continued to cause considerable headaches for the administration and CNN. And I’m sure the headaches will continue…
Have more information about making a misconduct complaint?
In short, no, not yet. But reporters from The New York Times and other media outlets have sought advice about Cuomo in the past, and information about Katz’s client was first reported by the NYT on Saturday. Katz did not respond to my requests for comment Sunday. “These apparently anonymous allegations are not true,” a Cuomo spokeswoman said.
Judy Kantor, who co-authored the NYT report,
observed That “this means two Cuomo brothers have lost their positions as a result of the #metoo allegations…”
Media analysts are picking up the stock.
On “Reliable” Sunday, I asked Mara Schiocampo, Sarah Fisher, and David Zorak to provide analysis of CNN’s decision and results. The key question, Zorak said, should be, “Who do you serve?” TV presenters “must be at the service of the public,” he said. “It often puts you at odds with people in power.”
Fisher raised questions about “why CNN delayed taking action.” But Schiocampo said CNN’s decision to fire Cuomo “may reinforce the public’s trust in the media, because they made the right call here in such an obvious case.”