The TV news-insider website FTV Live (subscription) is hearing that CNN prez Jon Klein may be treading serious water in the Death Pool:
The Death Pool - Who's first Klein or Westin?
When FTVLive first launched almost 6 years ago, we had a feature called the death pool.
It was a list of News Directors that most likely were going to be fired by their stations. The Death Pool was surprisingly accurate and if your name was on it, most likely you would going to get the blade.
TV Newsies that FTVLive have talked to think there is an interesting Death Pool that is going on right now.
Namely will we get fired first? Jon Klein at CNN? Or David Westin at ABC?
Sources tell FTVLive that both men our on thin ice at their respective networks. Both ABC and CNN are having major ratings struggles and the bet is changes will be made.
Yesterday, the New York Post had an interesting story about how David Westin is "paralyzed" and ABC and won't make a decision (read the story in Yesterday's FTVLive edition).
FTVLive reported last month that Charlie Gibson was going to move to World News Tonight and that decision was going to come down at anytime. Three weeks later.... and that announcement has not been made.
Some sources tell FTVLive that the announcement will be made in the next few days. But, says one source that when Westin announces that Gibson will be moving to WNT, he will also announce that Charlie will still have a role on GMA. Paralyzed....fits Westin to a "T" in this case.
So will Westin be the first to dive head first into the Death Pool? Insiders that FTVLive talked to think he won't. That honor will go to CNN's Jon Klein.
Klein has lost much support and respect at CNN and many think he will be the first to be pushed into the pool.
Klein has talked a good game from day one, but the proof has not been in the pudding so to speak. Ratings are down, morale is shit and Klein has lost even some of his most staunch supporters inside the walls at CNN.
He put all of CNN's chips in 2 baskets, Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer.
Both have failed in the ratings.
Cooper has been a darling of TV Critics and Klein deserves full credit for making that happen. Problem is while the critics think Cooper is dreamy, the viewers do not..... and they are not watching him.
So many think that CNN's Jon Klein will be the first to take a dip in the Death Pool. But, as they always told us, you should never go swimming alone.
For Klein, it might not take long for him to have a swim buddy and that buddy's name will be David Westin.
Everyone into the pool.
