CNN Reporters Are Banned From Drinking During The 2023 New Years Eve Show Because The Hosts Got Too Loaded And It Was Actually Entertaining For Once
A/V Club- Sad news today for anyone who loves bringing in the new year by watching Don Lemon give successively fewer fucks as the night goes on: CNN has apparently issued a dictate to its reporters, ordering them not to drink during the news network’s annual New Year’s Eve coverage.
This literally buzz-killing mandate was apparently handed down during a network townhall meeting by recently-minted CEO Chris Licht, who was installed in his position amidst the Warner Bros.-Discovery merger that’s shaped so much of the entertainment industry in recent months. Licht, a former MSNBC veteran, expressed concerns that having correspondents and anchors drink on camera “eroded the credibility of CNN personnel and damaged the ‘respectability’ they may enjoy among viewers.
It seems as if most major news network do whatever's possible to cut down even further the poor ratings most of these networks have. CNN has struggled with viewership the last few years it's that simple. In August it was reported that the profits at CNN were down considerably due to poor ratings.
Now one thing each year regardless of political standing or opinion most of us can get a kick out of stuffy reporters and random celebrities acting a fool because they have let their hair down a bit and had some of Grandpa's old cough medicine.
We heard a great rant last year from BRAVO host and cohost of CNN New Years Eve Show on former NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio aka Warren Wilhelm :
Luckily for people that watch CNN on NYE, Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper appear to be safe from this ruling.
There is one silver-haired lining to this joy-crushing proclamation, though: Said ruling apparently only applies to reporters, not “hosts,” which means Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper are apparently exempt from the televised teetotaling.
Which means we will still have moments like this:
However, it appears we will have to say RIP to Drunk Don Lemon on New Years for now.