History of CNN in Timeline
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational news organization founded in 1980 by Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld. It was the first 24-hour cable news channel and the first all-news television channel in the United States. Currently owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN operates a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta, providing continuous news coverage.
1962: Once in a Great City: Detroit 1962–64 miniseries
In 1962, CNN announced new miniseries and docuseries, including Once in a Great City: Detroit 1962–64.
1968: 1968 Spin-off
In 1968, CNN had a spin-off of the Hanks/Goetzman franchise.
June 1, 1980: CNN Launched
On June 1, 1980, Cable News Network launched at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The first newscast was anchored by David Walker and Lois Hart.
1980: CNN Founded
In 1980, Cable News Network (CNN) was founded by Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel. It was the first television channel to provide 24-hour news coverage.
1980: Inception of CNN
Since its inception in 1980, CNN has been involved in various controversies, criticisms, and allegations. The channel is known for its dramatic live coverage of breaking news, some of which has drawn criticism as overly sensationalistic.
1989: Airing of CNN Student News
In 1989, CNN Student News show had been aired since 1989.
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 since grown to become one of the most popular news websites in the world.
1996: Time Warner Acquisition
In 1996, Time Warner acquired the Turner Broadcasting System, following the success of CNN.
1998: CNN Places Live Chat with Benjamin Netanyahu on the Network
In 1998, CNN placed a live chat with Benjamin Netanyahu on the 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: First use of digital news gathering (DNG) system by Lisa Rose Weaver
In April 2001, CNN correspondent Lisa Rose Weaver used digital news gathering system, later recognized by an Emmy, to cover the release of the US Navy crew of a damaged electronic surveillance plane after the Hainan Island incident.
2003: CNNj Started Broadcasting
In 2003, CNNj started broadcasting in Japan, with simultaneous translation in Japanese.
2004: On-Air Appearance Style in Use
Since 2004, CNN had an existing style of on-air appearance, replaced in December 2008.
2005: Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics Features Blog Round-Up
In 2005, the topical news program Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics was the first CNN program to feature a round-up of blogs.
2005: Development and launch of CNN Pipeline
In late 2005, CNN developed and launched CNN Pipeline, influenced by the widespread growth of blogs, social media and user-generated content.
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 everything from blogging to citizen journalism within the CNN brand.
July 2007: CNN Pipeline Discontinued
In July 2007, CNN discontinued its paid subscription service, CNN Pipeline, and replaced it with a free streaming service.
September 2007: CNN Broadcasts in HD
In September 2007, CNN began broadcasting in the high-definition 1080i resolution format.
October 2007: CNN Election Express Bus Introduced
In October 2007, CNN's political coverage in HD was first given mobility by the introduction of the CNN Election Express bus.
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 on the 2008 Tibetan unrest. CNN reported that they took preventive measures after news broke of the impending attack.
December 2008: Comprehensive Redesign of 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.
2008: CNN Honored at 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 who receive CNN at home.
2008: Dark, flat appearance introduced
Since 2008, CNN had a dark, flat appearance until January 10, 2011.
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; this is 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, in which users can create their own username and profile, and a new "CNN Pulse" (beta) feature, along with a new red color theme. However, most of the news stories archived on the website were deleted.
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—from recalls to health issues to culture".
2010: CNN Accusations of False Balance
In 2010, CNN's efforts to be nonpartisan have led to accusations of false balance.
January 10, 2011: Major Redesign Introduced
On January 10, 2011, CNN's next major redesign was introduced, replacing the dark, flat appearance of the 2008 look with a glossier, blue-and-white color scheme.
July 27, 2012: Jim Walton Resigned
On July 27, 2012, CNN president Jim Walton announced he was resigning after 30 years at the network.
October 2012: CNN Forms Film Division Called CNN Films
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 a documentary entitled Girl Rising, a documentary narrated by Meryl Streep that focused on the struggles of girls' education.
January 2013: Jeff Zucker Replaced 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: "Flipper" Reverted to Scrolling Ticker
On February 18, 2013, the "flipper" was dropped and reverted to a scrolling ticker, following Jeff Zucker's arrival as head of the network.
2013: Flipper Launched
Since 2013, CNN had the Flipper until June 1, 2023.
May 2014: CNN Premiered The Sixties
In May 2014, CNN premiered The Sixties, a documentary miniseries produced by Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman which chronicled 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 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 later returned to CNN, this time hosted by the network's chief national correspondent John King.
2014: Graphics resembled the 2014-23 graphics
Since 2014, CNN had graphics that resemble the 2014-23 graphics until August 14, 2023.
2015: Cumulus Media Starts Partnership with CNN
In 2015, Cumulus Media started a partnership with CNN to syndicate national and international news content for its stations through Westwood One, including access to a wire service, and digital content for its station websites.
April 2016: New Corporate Typeface Introduced
In April 2016, CNN began to introduce a new corporate typeface, known as "CNN Sans", across all of its platforms.
August 2016: CNN AIR Launched
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 Acquires Beme
On November 28, 2016, CNN announced the acquisition of Beme for a reported $25 million.
November 29, 2016: Shutdown Announcement of Beme App
On November 29, 2016, Matt Hackett, co-founder of Beme, announced via an email to its users 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.
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, to 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 about sea pollution.
2018: CNN Receives George Polk Award of Long Island University
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. Reporting 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 of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, for Outstanding Breaking News Coverage, Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story in a Newscast, Outstanding Live Interview, Outstanding Hard News Feature Story in a Newscast, Outstanding News Special, 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 Concluded
Parts Unknown concluded in 2018 after the suicide of its host Anthony Bourdain.
May 2019: CNN (US) Absorbs International News Coverage
Since May 2019, the American domestic version of CNN has absorbed international news coverage in order to reduce programming costs.
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 from 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 Announces Discontinuation of CNN Service
On July 9, 2020, citing "extraordinary circumstances in the current marketplace" and a need to prioritize the company's resources, Westwood One announced that the service would be discontinued on August 30.
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 US, according to Nielsen.
December 2021: Chris Cuomo Seeks Damages
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 and Clarissa Ward Named Finalists for DuPont-Columbia Award
In 2021, CNN and Clarissa Ward were named finalists for the DuPont-Columbia Award of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism for their "Russia's Secret Influence Campaigns" investigation.
2021: CNN Accusations of False Balance
In 2021, One study measured airtime of guests on major news networks between 2010 and 2021 and compared that to the guests' campaign donations.
February 2022: Zucker Resigns
In February 2022, Jeff Zucker was asked to resign as chief executive of CNN's owner WarnerMedia.
February 26, 2022: Chris Licht Announced as Next President
On February 26, 2022, it was announced that Chris Licht would be the next president of CNN.
May 2022: Licht Started Tenure
In May 2022, Chris Licht started his tenure as CNN president.
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 Azuz left CNN due to a "personal decision".
October 2022: CNN Cost-Cutting Measures Announced
In October 2022, 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 declined to number 21 among all basic cable networks.
2022: Chris Licht Expresses Intention to Cut Down on Opinion Content
When Chris Licht took over the network in 2022, he expressed an intention to have more Republicans on the air and cut down on opinion-related content.
February 2023: CNN Operates Bureaus in Various Cities
As of February 2023, CNN operates bureaus in the following cities.
April 2023: Don Lemon Fired From CNN
In April 2023, host Don Lemon announced that he had been fired.
April 2023: CNN News Central launched
Since April 2023, CNN News Central has served as the network's rolling news block on weekdays.
June 1, 2023: CNN Refreshed Graphics
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.
June 2023: Licht Tenure Ended
In June 2023, Chris Licht's tenure as CNN president ended.
August 14, 2023: Further Changes Made to CNN Graphics
Further changes were made on August 14, 2023, 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 Became CEO
In October 2023, Mark Thompson became CEO of CNN.
November 2023: King Charles Talk Show Replaces Newsnight
From November 2023, the Wednesday edition of Newsnight has been replaced with King Charles, a limited-run late-night talk show helmed by Gayle King and Charles Barkley.
December 2023: CNN Subscribers Decreased
As of December 2023, CNN had 68,974,000 television households as subscribers in the US, according to Nielsen.
2023: CNN Slate Announced
In 2023, CNN announced a slate that would include commissions such as Giuliani: What Happened to America's Mayor?, United States of Scandal, and The 2010s.
May 2024: CNN Ordered 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.
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 three newsrooms (US, international, and digital) into one. CNN's global workforce at the time was roughly 3,500 people.
