Ratings for Don Lemon’s CNN This Morning were up slightly in the three days that Lemon was suspended for sexist remarks, but questions linger. Like, why didn’t they fire him?
According to a New York Post report, ratings were up an average of five percent on Friday of last week and Monday and Tuesday of this week. Lemon returned to his anchor chair between cohosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday, but ratings aren’t yet available.
Lemon was given a temporary suspension last week and forced to enter a reeducation camp — er, some kind of unspecified “formal training” — after saying on his low-rated morning program that GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley is no longer “in her prime.”
Actually, he said that about all women. A woman is “considered to be in her prime in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s,” according to Lemon.
Maybe 40s? How generous.
Maybe ratings were up because people wanted to tune in to see what all the fuss was about. If so, it’s impossible to tell from the numbers if new viewers were disappointed or relieved to learn that Lemon wasn’t on his own show.
But the question remains: Why is Don Lemon still an employee of CNN?
Lemon shouldn’t have been given the squeeze because he said something stupid. He isn’t a journalist; he’s a commentator — and not a very bright one. The only times he’s said something memorable, it’s because he said something extra-stupid, like his comments about women’s prime.
If I had to guess, “maybe he’ll say something extra-stupid today” is the main reason people tune in to see anything featuring Lemon.
No, the reason CNN should have fired Lemon is that he’s paid a lot of money but draws very few viewers. According to online sources, Lemon has a net worth of $31 million and was paid an annual salary of nearly $10 million in 2022. Plus, last year CNN gave him a $2 million bonus — for what is unclear — bringing his wages up to a hefty $940,000 a month.
Nice work if you can get it.
But what does CNN get for their approximately $11,280,00?
Not much.
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According to AdWeek, Lemon’s primetime show (canceled late last year) was only the 40th most popular cable news program of 2022, just below MSNBC’s Craig Melvin Reports.
Who is Craig Melvin, you ask? Exactly.
Since moving to the morning slot for 2023, Lemon hasn’t fared any better. CNN This Morning drew fewer than half as many viewers as the Morning Joe competition on MSNBC and fewer than one-third the number of viewers as Fox and Friends.
$11,280,000 for fewer than 300,000 viewers, assuming mostly the same people tune in each day, is $38 per viewer, annually. You think Nutrisystem or whoever is getting $38 worth out of the typical Don Lemon fan?
CNN loses money every single time Lemon opens his mouth, even when he isn’t saying something extra-stupid.
But of course, the show costs a lot more than just Lemon’s absurd salary. There’s also whatever Harlow and Collins are paid, and the costs to actually produce the show — crew, sets, lights, etc.
TV isn’t cheap to produce. That’s why the people who draw the big audiences draw the big paychecks. What does Lemon bring in, other than red ink and headaches for management?
I honestly thought CNN would take last week’s opportunity to do what they should have done years ago: Give this diversity hire the old heave-ho.
But no. He got a five-day weekend and remedial lessons in how not to be a jerk.
But why?
Earlier this week, an Instapundit commenter (IIRC) came up with what I think is the most logical explanation for keeping Lemon employed for now. His rude comments were directed at a Republican woman — and at CNN, that is not a fireable offense.
