CNN is reportedly about to make an interesting move regarding their Black talent.
Page Six reports that CNN is “fast-tracking” a news commentary show featuring an all-Black panel. Panelists CNN is hoping to recruit include current commentators such as 2018 Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum, journalist April Ryan, politician and commentator Bakari Sellers and political commentator Angela Rye.
The report says CNN’s decision was put into motion after the network saw how positive audiences responded to the panel’s commentary on the July Democratic debates on New Day with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman. A source to Page Six told the outlet that particular episode was “the most excitement on that morning show since Chris Cuomo left as co-anchor.” The source also said that the network could put it as competition against MSNBC’s weekend programming with Joy Reid and Rev. Al Sharpton.
While Black voices are featured on cable news shows, shows featuring Black perspectives have been treated less than stellar. For instance, Melissa Harris-Perry’s self-titled show on MSNBC was canceled in 2016 and other Black-led shows, such as AM Joy with Joy Reid and PoliticsNation with Rev. Al Sharpton, were moved to weekends.
Reid and Sharpton’s shows did survive the move to weekend coverage, but the move to the weekends can be seen as MSNBC sequestering its Black coverage while the weekday primetime shows are led by white commentators such as Chris Matthews, Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, and Brian Williams.
Shadow And Act has reached out to CNN for comment on the report.
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