CNN news

2022 - 8 - 2

Nuclear sky hotel not impossible, video creator says (CNN)

Fantasy video showing a gigantic flying resort powered by nuclear engines may defy technology and physics, but creator Hashem Al Ghaili insists it could ...

"The Sky Cruise is super massive!" "Nuclear powered or not, gravity is never letting that thing get off the ground," wrote one. However, due to its sheer size, it would need new infrastructure, and adjustments from the aviation industry.

Profits Slump at CNN as Ratings Plummet (The New York Times)

The network is on pace to drop below $1 billion in profit for the first time in years, according to people familiar with its operations, amid steep declines ...

The network has drawn an average of 639,000 people in prime time this quarter, according to data from Nielsen, a 27 percent decrease from a year ago. Mr. Licht, who took over CNN in May after a corporate merger made Warner Bros. Discovery its parent company, has tried to sell its staff on a vision for the network that isn’t tethered to traditional TV ratings. “If the strategy delivers more reach — that is, more ratings — then it’s probably a better business,” he said. Two people familiar with CNN’s operations said that the network’s initial 2022 profitability target was $1.1 billion, which Mr. Licht is on track to miss by more than $100 million. However the numbers are crunched, inside CNN the hunt is on for new revenue. “I think there’s an acute understanding that they don’t know our business.” CNN’s parent has also cracked down on expenses. Projections from S&P Global Market Intelligence say that CNN’s profitability is on pace to decline to $956.8 million this year. A CNN spokesman said that Mr. Licht was also focused on expanding the network’s traditional TV viewership, describing his recommendations to producers as “editorial guidance,” rather than “business strategy.” The spokesman said that Mr. Licht has not yet put his stamp on the network’s programming, adding that Mr. Licht projects the network’s profits will increase in 2023. But another person familiar with the matter said that by the accounting of company executives, Mr. Licht is on track to meet a profitability target of roughly $950 million for the year, since the network’s initial budget didn’t account for losses associated with launching the CNN+ streaming service. That would mark the first time since 2016 that the network has dipped below $1 billion in profit, according to three people familiar with its operations. The network is on pace to drop below $1 billion in profit for the first time in years, according to people familiar with its operations, amid steep declines in TV viewership.

REPORT: CNN Loses Substantial Sum Of Money As Ratings Plummet (The Daily Caller)

CNN is on track to have a profitability below $1 billion as the network's ratings have declines, sources familiar with the matter told The New York ...

The network did not respond at time of publication. To handle finances, Licht hired a longtime friend, Chris Marlin, who has had no experience in handling a cable news network, the outlet reported. The network reportedly aimed to make a profit of $1.1 billion.

CNN's profits seen dipping below $1B for first time since 2016: report (New York Post)

CNN's profits are poised to drop below $1 billion for the first time since 2016 as new boss Chris Licht scrambles for new ways to generate revenue, ...

According to Nielsen, CNN has drawn an average of 639,000 people in prime time this quarter, a 27% decline from a year ago. That move has come as CNN’s ratings have been on a downward spiral since former President Donald Trump has left office. Licht has also cut costs in CNN’s reporting endeavors, opting to not send US-based staff to overseas events. The Times said CNN employees call Marlin “Fish Man,” on account of his surname. Warners Bros. Discovery quickly shuttered the fledgling CNN+ streaming service on April 30, less than a month after it launched. CNN parent Warner Bros. Discovery reports earnings on Thursday, but it is not expected to break out CNN’s financials or provide further detail.

UK government admits to forcibly deporting Chinese sailors who ... (CNN)

Arrangements for the repatriations started in 1945 before World War II ended in Europe and affected more than 2,000 Chinese seamen. Refugees from Allied forces ...

The admission from the Home Office comes as its chief, Priti Patel, tries to establish a program to deport to Rwanda single male asylum seekers who arrive in the UK by small boats. These events are a stain on our history and unfortunately there are still many parallels with the way minoritized and migrant workers are treated in our country today." The report said that language used to justify the deportations were "racially inflected and prejudicial."

Discounts are back. Here's where to find them - CNN (CNN)

I still can't get over how insanely expensive some things have gotten over the past year. Yesterday, I asked my son to take out the trash and he charged me ...

A lot of us out there just want to get tipsy on something tasty without the effort of measuring, muddling, mincing or mixing. Of course I can make my own cocktails — but sometimes after a hard day of writing or editing Nightcap, I just want the alcohol delivery system to cut out the middle man. In the olden days, you'd go to a store, and some of the regular prices had a big red X through them, and another, lower price would appear next to it. But with its way-too-expensive refillable can, Tito's is trying to play a power move: Make your own cocktail (preferably with Tito's) and take it to go. People started going to the movies again, and they stopped auditioning for "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." The only problem: You'll have to buy stuff no one else wants — clothing, electronics, furniture, home goods and bath items are getting the biggest price cuts, my colleague Nathaniel Meyersohn reports