Bogey Nights: CNN 42% 4th Place 35 of 84 2009 Weekday Nights

CNN czars counter critics to Bill Carter NYT: CNN has not dismissed the idea of winning in prime time. “We’re not blasé about it,” Mr. Klein said. “We just want to win the right way.”For CNN, that means without resorting to full-throated partisanship. Mr. Olbermann might have been a winning acquisition for CNN when his contract was up in 2007. (CNN executives contend that Mr. Olbermann’s popularity is almost single-handedly responsible for MSNBC’s climb into second place. Rachel Maddow, the 9 p.m. host, made a mark during the election year but has slid a bit recently — though she continues to beat CNN’s Larry King frequently.)CNN in the end resisted pursuing Mr. Olbermann. Similarly, Mr. Klein said that he would not consider moving HLN’s biggest star, Nancy Grace, who now often beats Mr. Olbermann, to CNN. “You start to undermine your news brand by infusing it with bias,” Mr. Klein said.How then does Lou Dobbs fit in? Mr. Klein conceded that Mr. Dobbs, who has been an outspoken advocate against illegal immigration, is the most opinionated anchor on CNN “by a mile.” CNN argues that Mr. Dobbs’s mix of opinion and news is grandfathered into his show. But Mr. Klein also said that the network was trying to adjust the format. “If you watch Lou’s show, he’s doing more of a straight newscast than he’s ever done before.” Mr. Dobbs ratings have also been declining. “He could stand to attract a few more viewers,” Mr. Klein said.Mr. Klein aggressively supported Mr. King, saying the host brought the network to life each night at 9. Mr. King, who is 75, signed a contract extension last year that keeps him at CNN through 2011. Mr. King’s show, which is in a dogfight with Ms. Maddow’s on most nights for second place, both far behind Sean Hannity on Fox, tends to do better when a newsmaking guest is on. Mr. Klein said the show would concentrate on those guests. CNN will stick to its news-oriented knitting, Mr. Klein said; no changes are planned in CNN’s prime-time lineup. “I think there’s more than ever a need for a source of reliable, unbiased news,” Mr. Klein said. But the veteran CNN correspondent suggested that prime time might demand something more: “It’s not sexy to be in the middle. Klein’s got to make it sexy.”

Middle of the road, eh? Reminds me of a song. Loudon Wainwright the Third. "Dead Skunk In The Middle Of The Road (stinking to high heaven)."