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Good Luck to Aaron Brown

By Jeralyn, Section Media
Posted on Thu Nov 03, 2005 at 02:08:16 PM EST
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CNN announced yesterday that Aaron Brown is leaving and Anderson Cooper will be taking his 10:00 PM ET timeslot. I like Anderson Cooper's reporting a lot, but I also liked Aaron Brown's show. He was an oasis of calm and reason among the sea of frenetic spin shows.

Armando likes him too. It doesn't appear that Mr. Brown has lined up a new gig yet, but I wish him well.

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    Good Luck to Aaron Brown | 8 comments (8 topical)
    Re: Good Luck to Aaron Brown (none / 0) (#1)
    by TChris on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:44 PM EST
    CNN replaced a seasoned, accomplished anchor who happened to be 57 with a 38 year old who CNN evidently regards as "hip." Seems like age discrimination to me. It also seems like there's less reason to watch CNN (not that there are good alternatives), particularly given the increased exposure that the sycophantic Wolf Blitzer will receive.

    Re: Good Luck to Aaron Brown (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:44 PM EST
    I think Wolf has been doing a really good job on the Situation Room. I like him.

    Re: Good Luck to Aaron Brown (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:44 PM EST
    I Guess Class doesn't do it for CNN anymore. It appears their news model now tends towards the Tacky. I wonder if TL should announce my comment as a TALK LEFT NEWS ALERT!! (que the grand march music!)TA DA.

    Re: Good Luck to Aaron Brown (none / 0) (#4)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:44 PM EST
    I first started watching Brown in Seattle in '83 and immediately became a fan of his low key presentation of the news and his fantastic sense of humor. With his firing, CNN has removed the very last reason I had for ever watching them. Sad.

    Re: Good Luck to Aaron Brown (none / 0) (#5)
    by Kitt on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:44 PM EST
    I first started watching Brown in Seattle in '83 and immediately became a fan of his low key presentation of the news and his fantastic sense of humor. With his firing, CNN has removed the very last reason I had for ever watching them.
    Yeah, I like Aaron Brown too, Jim. He is low-key & quirky. I bounce between CNN & MSNBC. I'm not a fan of Wolf Blitzer or his beard. I watch his show for Jack Cafferty & the news. I'm not as excited about Anderson Cooper as some fans of his are. They did a extraordinary job; actually, they did their job in New Orleans & beyond. I rarely, I mean it, watch Fox - can't stand the presentation. Oh - Keith Olbermann on MSNBC & Dan Abrams. Check out 'Dog: The Bounty Hunter' on A&E. There's always CSPAN, Jim.

    Re: Good Luck to Aaron Brown (none / 0) (#6)
    by Aaron on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:44 PM EST
    imposter comment deleted

    Re: Good Luck to Aaron Brown (none / 0) (#7)
    by Aaron on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:44 PM EST
    I don't deserve this, I'M A DIVA DAMN IT!

    Re: Good Luck to Aaron Brown (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:45 PM EST
    I will greatly miss Aaron Brown on Newsnight; often, when I miss PBS's The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, I don't get to watch a whole news program until 10 p.m., and I always looked forward to Mr. Brown's program. (For the first time in TL I've found something to agree with PPJ about!) When CNN started that ridiculous format of forcing Anderson Cooper on what I still regard as Aaron Brown's program last week, I think most of us could sense some shakeup like this was in store. But I was shocked that CNN would be so blinded by the temporary surges in ratings re: Hurricanes Katrina and (less) Wilma to put Anderson Cooper in place of Aaron Brown. Aaron Brown is, as one says, a "class act," and smooth as smooth can be, while still having a wickedly self-deprecating and humane sense of humor. Anderson Cooper (younger if silver-haired) is still rough around the edges, humane enough but clearly "out for the story" in a very obviously-ambitious manner, and often he sounds as though he can't catch his breath. His oral delivery style still needs work, again in my view/hearing. Until the Katrina coverage, I really didn't watch Anderson Cooper's program. To me Cooper's manner always seems rather nervous--not "calm" [as TL observes of Brown]; I don't find him that "hip" at all (he's a decade too old to be truly "hip"); but, then, of course, neither am I! Maybe Aaron Brown is just more my "speed." And often Wolf Blitzer does seem "sycophantic" to me, as TChris says, which does frequently turn me off. (For similar reasons--sycophancy--I also don't like The Situation with the bow-tied Tucker Carlson on MSNBC--can't these cable companies come up with less-obviously competitive programs? The emphasis on competition even in their choice of titles is absurd. These are supposed to be "news" programs? I could do with more news and less (so-called) entertainment. So I am not happy with this change at CNN. CNN--and NPR--used to be my first choice for "breaking news"; but, since the departure of Bob Edwards from Morning Edition, and now the loss of Aaron Brown, they probably won't be my favorite news programs anymore. (This association of Edwards and Brown further raises the spector of ageism in the media, business, and academe.) I too wish Aaron Brown all the best of luck in the future. If he chooses to continue in the news profession, I look forward to watching or listening to him in another venue.

    Good Luck to Aaron Brown | 8 comments (8 topical)