This means, "more personal opinions."
CNN exec wants anchors to show more of their personalities
Los Angeles Times
Jonathan Klein, the new president of CNN/U.S., wants Paula Zahn, Aaron Brown and Anderson Cooper to show their "real" selves on the air. The anchors are "intelligent, articulate and professional," he says, "but I'm not sure I'm seeing the real them. When you think about those people we're talking about, like Christiane Amanpour, you feel like you're seeing the real person. They all have it; they just have to allow themselves to show it."
Atlanta Journal - ....Klein, too, would not disclose any plans, aside from generalities such as, "There's no reason why we can't make stories more relevant and compelling."
Klein, 46, left CBS in 1998 to start the FeedRoom, a Web-based video-streaming service that bills itself as the world's largest broadband news network.
Walton said he is unconcerned that Klein has been out of a traditional newsroom for six years. His new hire wields "versatility that, quite frankly, we have not had at CNN," Walton said.
During a media conference call Monday afternoon, Walton tried to sink a raft of rumors regarding CNN, from its alleged interest in hiring embattled CBS News anchor Dan Rather to its supposed merger negotiations with an over-the-air broadcast news division.
"If there were [merger] talks," he said, "I think we'd be in the driver's seat."
Walton predicted that by the end of the year, CNN News Group would have a record 35 percent growth in profit. "We've blown the doors off this year."
And even as Fox News expands its ratings advantage, Walton said CNN has benefited from news-watchers fleeing broadcast networks for cable.
"This place is not broken," he said.
Klein insisted he is under no deadline to exact changes, despite the line of executives he's following.
"I've been given an awfully long leash," he said. "There is no gun to the head."
Fox News took Monday's announcement as an opportunity to comment on CNN's hierarchal hot seat.
Fox spokeswoman Irena Briganti said, "We wish CNN well in their annual executive shuffle."
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