History of CNN in Timeline
CNN (Cable News Network) is an American multinational news media company founded in 1980 by Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, it was the first 24-hour cable news channel and the first all-news television channel in the United States. It is currently the flagship property of CNN Worldwide, a division of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). CNN pioneered the concept of continuous news coverage, establishing a model for news broadcasting that has been widely adopted globally.
1962: Once in a Great City: Detroit 1962–64
In 1962, CNN created docuseries Once in a Great City: Detroit 1962–64.
June 1, 1980: CNN Founded
On June 1, 1980, the Cable News Network (CNN) was founded by Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, marking the first all-news television channel in the United States.
1980: CNN Faces Criticisms Since Inception
Since its inception in 1980, CNN has been involved in various controversies, criticisms, and allegations.
1989: CNN Student News Airs
In 1989, CNN launched CNN Student News which was a long-running show.
August 30, 1995: CNN Launches CNN.com
On August 30, 1995, CNN launched its website, CNN.com, initially known as CNN Interactive. The site has grown to become one of the most popular news websites worldwide.
1996: Time Warner Acquires Turner Broadcasting System
In 1996, Time Warner (later WarnerMedia which merged with Discovery Inc. forming Warner Bros. Discovery) acquired the Turner Broadcasting System, following CNN's success.
1998: CNN Hosts Live Chat with Benjamin Netanyahu
In 1998, CNN placed a live chat with Benjamin Netanyahu on its internet relay chat (IRC) network at chat.cnn.com.
1998: CNN Receives Four Freedoms Award for Freedom of Speech
In 1998, CNN received the Four Freedoms Award for the Freedom of Speech.
April 2001: CNN Correspondent Covers US Navy Crew Release Using DNG System
In April 2001, CNN correspondent Lisa Rose Weaver covered the release of the US Navy crew after the Hainan Island incident. She was also detained during the coverage. This event marked the first use of an integrated and portable IP-based digital news gathering system, which would later win CNN an Emmy award.
2003: CNNj Broadcasts in Japan
In 2003, CNNj started broadcasting in Japan, with simultaneous translation in Japanese.
2004: Existing Style of CNN's On-Air Appearance
Since 2004, the existing style of CNN's on-air appearance had been used.
2005: Development and Launch of CNN Pipeline
In 2005, CNN focused its online offerings with the development and launch of CNN Pipeline, influenced by the growth of blogs, social media, and user-generated content.
2005: Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics Features Blog Round-Up
In 2005, the topical news program Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics became the first CNN program to feature a round-up of blogs.
2006: CNN Launches CNN Exchange and CNN iReport
In 2006, CNN launched CNN Exchange and CNN iReport, initiatives designed to further introduce and centralize the impact of blogging and citizen journalism within the CNN brand.
July 2007: CNN Discontinues CNN Pipeline Service
In July 2007, CNN discontinued its paid subscription service CNN Pipeline, which offered live video streams and on-demand access to CNN content. The service was replaced with a free streaming service in July 2007.
September 2007: CNN Begins Broadcasting in HD
In September 2007, CNN began broadcasting in the high-definition 1080i resolution format.
October 2007: Introduction of CNN Election Express Bus
In October 2007, CNN introduced the CNN Election Express bus, enabling mobile HD political coverage.
April 18, 2008: CNN.com Targeted by Chinese Hackers
On April 18, 2008, CNN.com was targeted by Chinese hackers in retaliation for the channel's coverage of the 2008 Tibetan unrest. CNN took preventive measures following news of the impending attack on April 18, 2008.
December 2008: Comprehensive Redesign of CNN's On-Air Appearance
In December 2008, CNN introduced a comprehensive redesign of its on-air appearance, which replaced an existing style that had been used since 2004. On-air graphics took a rounded, flat look in a predominantly black, white, and red color scheme.
2008: CNN's Dark, Flat Appearance
In 2008, CNN had a dark, flat appearance.
2008: CNN Honored at Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards
In 2008, CNN was honored at the Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards for the development and implementation of an integrated and portable IP-based live, edit and store-and-forward digital news gathering (DNG) system.
2008: CNN Begins Live Streaming Broadcast for Cable and Satellite Subscribers
In early 2008, CNN began maintaining a live streaming broadcast available to cable and satellite subscribers who receive CNN at home, a precursor to the TV Everywhere services.
April 2009: CNN.com Ranks Third Among Global News Sites
In April 2009, CNN.com ranked third place among online global news sites in unique users in the US, according to Nielsen/NetRatings, showing an increase of 11% over the previous year.
October 24, 2009: CNN.com Launches New Version of Website
On October 24, 2009, CNN launched a new version of the CNN.com website. The revamped site included a new "sign up" option, where users could create their own username and profile, and a new "CNN Pulse" (beta) feature, along with a new red color theme. Most of the news stories archived on the website were deleted as part of the update on October 24, 2009.
April 2010: CNN Announces Launch of Food Blog "Eatocracy"
In April 2010, CNN announced via Twitter that it would launch a food blog called "Eatocracy", which will cover all news related to food.
2010: CNN Accused of Liberal Bias
In 2010, efforts of CNN to be nonpartisan led to accusations of liberal bias and false balance in support of conservatives.
January 10, 2011: CNN's Major Redesign
On January 10, 2011, CNN introduced its next major redesign, replacing the dark, flat appearance of the 2008 look with a glossier, blue-and-white color scheme.
July 27, 2012: Jim Walton Resigns
On July 27, 2012, CNN president Jim Walton announced he was resigning after 30 years at the network.
October 2012: CNN Forms CNN Films Division
In October 2012, CNN formed a film division called CNN Films to distribute and produce made-for-TV and feature documentaries. Its first acquisition was the documentary "Girl Rising".
January 2013: Jeff Zucker Replaces Jim Walton
In January 2013, former NBCUniversal President Jeff Zucker replaced Jim Walton as president of CNN.
January 29, 2013: Political Analysts Let Go
On January 29, 2013, longtime political analysts James Carville and Mary Matalin, and fellow political contributor Erick Erickson were let go by CNN.
February 18, 2013: Scrolling Ticker Reverted
On February 18, 2013, CNN dropped the "flipper" and reverted to a scrolling ticker.
2013: Static flipper for the first time since 2013
In 2013, ticker with a static "flipper" for the first time since 2013.
May 2014: Premiere of "The Sixties"
In May 2014, CNN premiered "The Sixties", a documentary miniseries produced by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, chronicling the United States in the 1960s.
July 2014: Cumulus Media Announces Partnership with CNN
In July 2014, Cumulus Media announced that it would end its partnership with ABC News Radio and enter into a new partnership with CNN to syndicate national and international news content for its stations through Westwood One beginning in 2015.
August 11, 2014: New Graphics Package Introduced
On August 11, 2014, CNN introduced a new graphics package, dropping the glossy appearance for a flat, rectangular scheme incorporating red, white, and black colors, and the Gotham typeface.
2014: CNN Launches Radio Version on TuneIn Radio
In 2014, CNN launched a radio version of their television programming on TuneIn Radio.
2014: CNN Graphics changes
In 2014, CNN ticker and title box changes graphics to make it closer resemble the 2014–23 graphics.
2014: Inside Politics Returns to CNN
In 2014, Inside Politics returned to CNN, hosted by the network's chief national correspondent John King.
2015: Cumulus Media Partnership with CNN Begins
In 2015, Cumulus Media began its partnership with CNN to syndicate national and international news content for its stations through Westwood One.
April 2016: Introduction of CNN Sans Typeface
In April 2016, CNN began to introduce a new corporate typeface, known as "CNN Sans", across all of its platforms.
August 2016: Launch of CNN AIR
In August 2016, CNN announced the launch of CNN Aerial Imagery and Reporting (CNN AIR), a drone-based news collecting operation.
November 28, 2016: CNN Announces Acquisition of Beme
On November 28, 2016, CNN announced the acquisition of Beme for a reported $25 million.
November 29, 2016: Beme Announces Shutdown
On November 29, 2016, Matt Hackett, co-founder of Beme, announced via email to its users that the Beme app would be shutting down on January 31, 2017.
January 31, 2017: Beme App Shutdown
The Beme app was officially shut down on January 31, 2017. CNN intended to use the current talent behind Beme to work on a separate start-up endeavor, and Beme's team would retain full creative control of the new project.
March 7, 2017: CNN Launches Virtual Reality Unit CNNVR
On March 7, 2017, CNN announced the official launch of its virtual reality unit named CNNVR. CNNVR will produce 360 videos to its Android and iOS apps within CNN Digital.
2017: CNN Receives Prince Rainier III Special Prize
In 2017, CNN received the Prince Rainier III Special Prize at the Monte Carlo TV Festival for the documentary, Midway: A Plastic Island, which focuses on sea pollution.
2018: CNN Receives George Polk Award for Foreign Television Reporting
In 2018, CNN received the George Polk Award of Long Island University for Foreign Television Reporting for uncovering a hidden modern-day slave auction of African refugees in Libya. The reporting was done by Nima Elbagir and Raja Razek.
2018: CNN Receives Overseas Press Club of America David Kaplan Award
In 2018, CNN received the Overseas Press Club of America David Kaplan Award for best TV or video spot news reporting from abroad for reporting on the fall of ISIS by Nick Paton Walsh and Arwa Damon.
2018: CNN Wins Six News and Documentary Emmy Awards
In 2018, CNN won a network-record six News and Documentary Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for various categories including Breaking News Coverage and Outstanding News Special.
2018: Nima Elbagir Receives Courage in Journalism Award
In 2018, CNN's Nima Elbagir received the Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women's Media Foundation.
2018: Parts Unknown Concluded
In 2018, Parts Unknown concluded after the suicide of its host, Anthony Bourdain.
May 2019: Shift in CNN International Coverage
In May 2019, the American domestic version of CNN began absorbing international news coverage to reduce programming costs.
2019: New Miniseries and Docuseries Announced
In 2019, CNN announced several new miniseries and docuseries, including American Style (produced by Vox Media), The Redemption Project with Van Jones, Chasing Life with Sanjay Gupta, Tricky Dick (chronicling Richard Nixon), The Movies (a spin-off of the Hanks/Goetzman decades miniseries), and Once in a Great City: Detroit 1962–64.
2019: CNN Viewership Ranking
In 2019, CNN ranked 14th among all basic cable networks.
2019: CNN Receives Walter Cronkite Award
In 2019, the USC Annenberg School awarded CNN with a Walter Cronkite Award for its Parkland Town Hall event.
January 2020: CNN Settles Defamation Lawsuit with Nick Sandmann
In January 2020, CNN settled a multi-million dollar defamation lawsuit from Nick Sandmann, a Covington Catholic High School student involved in an encounter with Omaha tribe elder Nathan Phillips at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
July 9, 2020: Westwood One Discontinues CNN Syndication Service
On July 9, 2020, Westwood One announced that its CNN syndication service would be discontinued on August 30, citing "extraordinary circumstances in the current marketplace" and a need to prioritize the company's resources.
2020: CNN's Ed Lavandera and CNN Films Awarded Peabody Awards
In 2020, CNN's Ed Lavandera was awarded a Peabody Award for "The Hidden Workforce: Undocumented in America", and CNN Films was awarded a Peabody for the documentary "Apollo 11".
March 2021: CNN Subscriber Count
In March 2021, CNN had 80 million television households as subscribers in the United States, according to Nielsen.
June 2021: CNN Viewership Ranking
In June 2021, CNN ranked third in viewership among cable news networks, behind Fox News and MS NOW, averaging 580,000 viewers throughout the day, which was down 49% from the previous year.
December 2021: Chris Cuomo Fired from CNN
After being fired in December 2021, former host Chris Cuomo was reported to be seeking $125 million in damages, alleging a breach of agreement.
2021: CNN Digital Leads in Unique Visitors in the US
In 2021, CNN Digital had an average of 144 million unique visitors in the United States according to Comscore, making it the most viewed digital news outlet.
2021: CNN named finalist for DuPont-Columbia Award
In 2021, CNN and Clarissa Ward were named as finalists for the DuPont-Columbia Award of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism for their investigation into "Russia's Secret Influence Campaigns".
2021: CNN Guest Airtime Measured
In 2021, a study was conducted that measured the airtime of guests on major news networks between 2010 and 2021. Results found that guests on CNN had a liberal bias.
February 2022: Jeff Zucker Resigns
In February 2022, Jeff Zucker was asked to resign as CEO of CNN's owner WarnerMedia after his relationship with one of his lieutenants was discovered.
February 26, 2022: Chris Licht Announced as Next President of CNN
On February 26, 2022, it was announced that Chris Licht would be the next president of CNN, to be instated after the spin-off and merger of WarnerMedia into Discovery Inc.
May 2022: Chris Licht Starts Tenure as CNN President
In May 2022, Chris Licht started his tenure as president of CNN.
September 18, 2022: Carl Azuz Replaced as Host of CNN 10
In a newsletter published on September 18, 2022, a CNN spokesperson announced that Carl Azuz would be replaced by Coy Wire as the host of CNN 10, due to a "personal decision".
October 2022: CNN Cost-Cutting Measures Announced
In October 2022, with the takeover of CNN by Chris Licht and Warner Bros. Discovery, it was announced that CNN would cut back on acquisitions and commissions from third parties as a cost-cutting measure.
2022: CNN Viewership Ranking
In 2022, CNN's viewership ranking declined to number 21 among all basic cable networks.
February 2023: CNN operates Bureaus
As of February 2023, CNN operates bureaus in various cities.
April 2023: Introduction of CNN News Central
In April 2023, CNN News Central was introduced as the network's rolling news block on weekdays, with a morning edition and an afternoon edition.
April 2023: Don Lemon Fired from CNN
In April 2023, host Don Lemon announced that he had been fired.
June 1, 2023: CNN Graphics Refresh
On June 1, 2023, CNN refreshed its graphics to mark the 43rd anniversary of its launch, using gradients and rounded corners, thinner fonts, and a modified layout that moved the show title to a secondary tab on the lower third next to the segment title, and replaced the ticker with a static "flipper" for the first time since 2013, among other changes.
June 2023: Chris Licht's Tenure Ends
In June 2023, Chris Licht's tenure as president of CNN ended.
August 14, 2023: CNN Graphics Changes
On August 14, 2023, Further changes were made to CNN graphics with the return of the scrolling ticker and the show title box to make it closer resemble the 2014–23 graphics, but maintaining most of the other visual changes.
October 2023: Mark Thompson Becomes CEO of CNN
In October 2023, Mark Thompson, formerly of The New York Times, became the CEO of CNN. He retained the executive team under Chris Licht, known as the "Quad," and expanded their responsibilities. He also appointed Alex MacCallum as executive vice president of digital products, emphasizing the need for staff to adapt to change during October 2023.
December 2023: CNN Subscriber Count
In December 2023, CNN had 68,974,000 television households as subscribers in the United States, according to Nielsen.
2023: CNN Announces Slate for 2023
In 2023, CNN announced a slate for the year that would include commissions such as Giuliani: What Happened to America's Mayor?, United States of Scandal, and The 2010s.
May 2024: CNN Orders American Version of 'Have I Got News for You'
In May 2024, CNN ordered an American version of the long-running British news comedy panel show Have I Got News for You.
June 27, 2024: CNN Hosts Presidential Debate
On June 27, 2024, CNN hosted the first presidential debate for former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. CNN claimed that more people watched the CNN Presidential Debate than any other CNN program in history.
July 2024: CNN Announces Job Cuts and Newsroom Consolidation
In July 2024, CNN announced that it would cut one hundred jobs, representing about 3% of its workforce. Additionally, the company announced the consolidation of three newsrooms into one, combining its US, international, and digital news gathering operations during July 2024.
January 2025: CNN YouTube Channels Rank Among Top News Publishers
In January 2025, CNN's YouTube channels "CNN" and "CNN-News18" ranked among the 20 most subscribed news publishers, with 17.4 million and 8.8 million subscribers respectively.
October 2025: Introduction of 'The Story Is with Elex Michaelson'
In October 2025, CNN introduced a live program anchored from Los Angeles, 'The Story Is with Elex Michaelson', airing from 9–11 p.m. PT (12 a.m–2 a.m. ET) to fill the East Coast late-night hours.
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