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CNN has announced a new show coming with two massive stars and it will not be about politics.
The show, which will star NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley and legendary news anchor Gayle King will debut on the CNN primetime lineup in the fall, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The new show will be titled “King Charles,” and will air weekly on Wednesdays.
The show is CNN Chief Executive Chris Licht’s latest experiment in prime-time, as the network struggles to find a formula that can boost ratings. Last month, CNN posted its lowest ratings in at least three decades among viewers 25 to 54 years old, according to Nielsen, and its average of 535,000 prime-time viewers in the first quarter as of March 24 was down 35% from a year earlier.
The Wall Street Journal reported last month that CNN was finalizing a pact with Ms. King for a prime-time program. Puck earlier reported that CNN was in talks with Ms. King and Mr. Barkley.
Ms. King and Mr. Barkley announced the new program in an appearance on an NBA playoffs pregame show on Saturday afternoon.
“We’re both very curious people,” King said.
Barkley said he did not want to do any more television shows but when he was informed of who his cohost would be he thought, “Oh yeah, I’ll work with Gayle—that’s the only way.”
“We don’t want to say, ‘We’re a liberal, conservative, Republican, Democrat’—that’s one of the things that’s already ruined television in general,” the NBA star said.
But the show will not avoid politics altogether they said.
“I just think we need to figure out a way to have a good conversation without tearing each other down,” King said.
Barkley said one of the topics he wanted to talk about was guns.
“We need to talk about it, man.” The NBA star said. “I’m a pro-gun guy, but it should not be easy to get guns.”
“This show will be an exciting new way we are delivering culturally relevant programming and unique perspectives to our audience, from two incredibly dynamic personalities,” CNN CEO Chris Licht said in a message to staff .
“Gayle King is one of the most dynamic journalists in the business. We have always supported Gayle in all of her endeavors and this is no different,” a CBS News representative said.
CNN has been rearranging its primetime schedule amid dismal ratings.
Former Fox News anchor Chris Wallace has not had much success in terms of attracting an audience after he left the network and moved to CNN in the wake of the 2020 elections, but executives there continue to give him opportunities.
According to Mediaite, the network is moving Wallace from his Sunday slot to a new one during prime time on Fridays.
The network announced that the HBO Max and CNN series “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace” would continue to release new episodes for streaming on Friday mornings. However, the CNN “Best of” segment of the show would be moving to Friday nights at 10 PM, according to reports.
“CNN announced today that Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? will return for its third season on HBO Max and CNN on Friday, April 28. The best of the full HBO Max interviews will continue to air on CNN, beginning April 28 at 10pm ET/PT,” the network noted in a press release sent to Mediaite.
The show is known for its comprehensive and eclectic format, featuring full-length interviews with a diverse range of guests from the worlds of popular culture, politics, and current events. In addition to its in-depth coverage, the show also incorporates biographical elements and often includes Wallace singing in segments.
The network says programs featuring newsmakers and celebrities will be released in the coming weeks:
As the 2024 election cycle approaches, Wallace will interview key policymakers and presidential hopefuls, leaning into his more than 50 years of political expertise and tackling the topics and issues facing the country. Highly anticipated guests for the upcoming third season also include Carol Burnett, Bill Hader, Jay Leno, Andy Garcia, Miranda Lambert, and many more that will be announced in the weeks ahead. Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? will be available on the new enhanced streaming service, Max, when it launches in the U.S. on Tuesday, May 23.
“We’re thrilled that the CNN audience will now get to see these newsmaking interviews the same day that they are available on HBO Max,” a spokesperson for the show told Mediaite.
