History of CNN in Timeline
CNN, or Cable News Network, is a multinational news organization that operates a website and a 24-hour TV news channel. Founded in 1980 by Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld, it was the first channel to offer continuous news coverage in the United States. Currently owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN is headquartered in Atlanta and remains a prominent source of news worldwide.
1962: Once in a Great City: Detroit
Once in a Great City: Detroit 1962-64 miniseries that aired on CNN.
1968: CNN Airs 1968
In 1968, CNN aired 1968, part of the Hanks/Goetzman franchise.
June 1, 1980: CNN Launches
On June 1, 1980, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the Cable News Network (CNN) was launched. Ted Turner introduced the channel, and David Walker and Lois Hart anchored the first newscast. Burt Reinhardt hired the channel's first 200 employees, including Bernard Shaw as the first news anchor.
1980: CNN Founded
In 1980, Cable News Network (CNN) was founded by Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld. CNN was created as a 24-hour cable news channel, marking the first all-news television channel in the United States.
1980: CNN Inception and Controversies
Since its inception in 1980, CNN has been involved in various controversies, criticisms, and allegations, including its dramatic live coverage of breaking news.
1989: CNN Student News Aired
Since 1989, CNN Student News had been aired. It was later replaced by CNN-10.
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 in the world.
1996: Time Warner Acquires Turner Broadcasting System
In 1996, conglomerate Time Warner (later WarnerMedia which merged with Discovery Inc. forming Warner Bros. Discovery) acquired the Turner Broadcasting System, following CNN's success.
1998: CNN Places Live Chat with Benjamin Netanyahu
In 1998, CNN placed a live chat with Benjamin Netanyahu on the network's 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 Uses Integrated DNG system for first time
In April 2001, CNN correspondent Lisa Rose Weaver used the integrated and portable IP-based live, edit and store-and-forward digital news gathering (DNG) system for the first time to cover the release of the US Navy crew of a damaged electronic surveillance plane after the Hainan Island incident.
2003: CNNj Broadcasts in Japan
In 2003, CNNj began broadcasting in Japan, featuring simultaneous translation in Japanese.
2004: Old graphics style
The on-air style had been in place since 2004, before being replaced in December 2008.
2005: Inside Politics Features Blog Roundup
In 2005, the topical news program Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics became the first CNN program to feature a round-up of blogs.
2005: CNN Pipeline Development
In late 2005, CNN focused its online offerings with the development and launch of CNN Pipeline.
2006: CNN Launches CNN Exchange and CNN iReport
In 2006, CNN launched CNN Exchange and CNN iReport to introduce and centralize 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, and replaced it with a free streaming service.
September 2007: CNN Begins Broadcasting in High Definition
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, providing political coverage in HD. The Election Express vehicle was capable of five simultaneous HD feeds and was used for presidential debates and candidate interviews.
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 reported taking preventive measures after news broke of the impending attack.
December 2008: CNN Introduces Redesign of On-Air Appearance
In December 2008, CNN introduced a comprehensive redesign of its on-air appearance, replacing the style that had been used since 2004. On-air graphics took on a rounded, flat look with a black, white, and red color scheme. The redesign also replaced the scrolling ticker with a static "flipper".
2008: Mention of dark flat appearance
In 2008 CNN had a dark flat on-air appearance.
2008: CNN honored at the Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards
In 2008, CNN was honored at the Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards for 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
In early 2008, CNN began maintaining a live streaming broadcast available to cable and satellite subscribers. CNN International is broadcast live outside the US as part of the RealNetworks SuperPass subscription service.
April 2009: CNN.com ranks third among online global news sites
In April 2009, CNN.com ranked third among online global news sites in unique users in the US, according to Nielsen/NetRatings, marking an 11% increase over the previous year.
October 24, 2009: CNN.com Launches New Version
On October 24, 2009, CNN launched a new version of the CNN.com website, including a "sign up" option, "CNN Pulse" feature, and a new red color theme. However, most archived news stories were deleted.
April 2010: CNN Announces Food Blog
In April 2010, CNN announced via Twitter that it would launch a food blog called "Eatocracy" to cover all news related to food.
January 10, 2011: CNN Introduces 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 as CNN President
On July 27, 2012, CNN president Jim Walton announced he was resigning after 30 years at the network. Walton remained with CNN until the end of that year.
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 entitled Girl Rising, narrated by Meryl Streep.
January 2013: Jeff Zucker Replaces Jim Walton as CNN President
In January 2013, former NBCUniversal President Jeff Zucker replaced Jim Walton as president of CNN.
January 29, 2013: CNN Lets Go Political Analysts
On January 29, 2013, CNN let go of longtime political analysts James Carville and Mary Matalin, and fellow political contributor Erick Erickson.
February 18, 2013: CNN Reverts to Scrolling Ticker
On February 18, 2013, following Jeff Zucker's arrival as head of the network, CNN dropped the "flipper" and reverted to a scrolling ticker.
2013: Reference to flipper in 2013
CNN's graphics refresh on June 1, 2023 replaced the ticker with a static 'flipper' for the first time since 2013.
May 2014: CNN Premieres '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 Partners with CNN for News Syndication
In July 2014, Cumulus Media announced it would end its partnership with ABC News Radio and partner with CNN to syndicate national and international news content through Westwood One, beginning in 2015.
August 11, 2014: CNN Introduces New Graphics Package
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 of Programming on TuneIn Radio
In 2014, CNN launched a radio version of their television programming on TuneIn Radio.
2014: Inside Politics Returns to CNN
In 2014, Inside Politics returned to CNN, hosted by John King.
2014: Reference to CNN graphics from 2014
The CNN graphics refresh of August 14, 2023 reverted some components to the style of CNN's graphics from 2014.
2015: Cumulus Media Partners with CNN for News Syndication
Cumulus Media began syndicating national and international news content through Westwood One from CNN in 2015.
April 2016: Introduction of CNN Sans Typeface
In April 2016, CNN began introducing a new corporate typeface, known as "CNN Sans", across all of its platforms.
August 2016: CNN Launches Drone-Based News Operation
In August 2016, CNN announced the launch of CNN Aerial Imagery and Reporting (CNN AIR), a drone-based news collecting operation to integrate aerial imagery and reporting across all CNN branches and platforms.
November 28, 2016: CNN Acquires Beme
On November 28, 2016, CNN announced the acquisition of Beme for a reported $25 million.
November 29, 2016: Beme App Shutdown Announced
On November 29, 2016, Beme co-founder Matt Hackett announced that the Beme app would be shutting down on January 31, 2017.
January 31, 2017: Beme App Shutdown
On January 31, 2017, the Beme app was officially shut down after CNN's acquisition of Beme.
March 7, 2017: CNN Announces Launch of CNNVR
On March 7, 2017, CNN announced the launch of its virtual reality unit named CNNVR. CNNVR will produce 360 videos for its Android and iOS apps within CNN Digital, covering major news events.
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 is about 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, reported 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 of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, for various categories including Outstanding Breaking News Coverage and Outstanding Science, Medical and Environmental Report.
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 Concludes
In 2018, Parts Unknown concluded after the suicide of its host Anthony Bourdain.
May 2019: Shift in CNN International Programming
In May 2019, the American domestic version of CNN absorbed international news coverage to reduce programming costs.
2019: CNN Announces New Miniseries and Docuseries
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', 'The Movies', 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 Awarded 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 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
July 9, 2020: Westwood One Announces Discontinuation of CNN service
On July 9, 2020, Westwood One announced that it would discontinue its service due to extraordinary circumstances in the current marketplace and a need to prioritize the company's resources, on August 30.
2020: CNN Receives 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 Base
In March 2021, CNN had 80 million television households as subscribers in the US, according to Nielsen.
December 2021: Chris Cuomo Fired, Seeks Damages
In December 2021, former CNN host Chris Cuomo was fired and reportedly sought $125 million in damages, alleging a breach of agreement.
2021: CNN and Clarissa Ward named finalists for DuPont-Columbia Award
In 2021, CNN and Clarissa Ward were announced as finalists for the DuPont-Columbia Award of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism for their investigation into "Russia's Secret Influence Campaigns".
February 2022: Zucker Resigns as CNN President
In February 2022, Jeff Zucker was asked to resign as president of CNN after his relationship with one of his lieutenants was discovered during an investigation.
February 26, 2022: Chris Licht Announced as Next CNN President
On February 26, 2022, it was announced that Chris Licht would be the next president of CNN, with plans to be instated after the spin off and merger of WarnerMedia into Discovery Inc.
May 2022: Chris Licht Starts as CNN President
In May 2022, Chris Licht started his tenure as president of CNN.
September 18, 2022: Coy Wire replaces Carl Azuz as host of CNN 10
On September 18, 2022, Coy Wire replaced Carl Azuz as the host of CNN 10, after Carl left CNN due to a "personal decision" according to a CNN spokesperson.
October 2022: CNN Announces Cost-Cutting Measures
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 ranking further declined to number 21 among all basic cable networks.
2022: Chris Licht Intends to Cut Opinion-Related Content
In 2022, upon taking over the network, Chris Licht expressed an intention to include more Republicans on air and reduce opinion-related content.
February 2023: CNN Operates Bureaus in Various Cities
As of February 2023, CNN operates bureaus in several cities worldwide.
April 2023: Don Lemon Fired
In April 2023, CNN host Don Lemon announced that he had been fired.
April 2023: Introduction of CNN News Central
Since April 2023, CNN News Central has served as CNN's rolling news block on weekdays, with its morning edition from 9 a.m. to noon ET and its afternoon edition from 1–4 p.m. ET.
June 1, 2023: CNN Refreshes Graphics for 43rd Anniversary
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. Amid poor internal reception to the redesign and the firing of Chris Licht, elements of the prior graphics began to be reinstated later that month.
June 2023: Chris Licht's Tenure Ends
In June 2023, Chris Licht's tenure as president of CNN ended.
August 14, 2023: CNN Reinstates Graphics Changes
On August 14, 2023, CNN made further changes, 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
In October 2023, Mark Thompson, formerly of The New York Times, became CEO of CNN. One of his first moves was keeping the executive team under Chris Licht in place and expanding their responsibilities. He also appointed Alex MacCallum as executive vice president of digital products.
November 2023: King Charles replaces Newsnight on Wednesdays
From November 2023, the Wednesday edition of CNN Newsnight was replaced with King Charles, a limited-run late-night talk show helmed by Gayle King and Charles Barkley.
December 2023: CNN Subscriber Base
As of December 2023, CNN had 68,974,000 television households subscribed in the US, according to Nielsen.
2023: CNN Announces Slate for 2023
In 2023, CNN announced a slate that included 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 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 it was cutting one hundred jobs (about 3% of its workforce) and consolidating its US, international, and digital news gathering operations into one. CNN's global workforce included roughly 3,500 people at the time.
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