WHCD: Conan O'Brien Skewers CNN's Poor Ratings

WHCD: Conan O'Brien Skewers CNN's Poor Ratings

At the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, comedian Conan O’Brien poked fun at CNN’s ratings woes as the cable network struggles to reclaim its identity as the leader in breaking news coverage.

O’Brien said conservatives watch Fox News, liberals watch MSNBC, and then said the only people who watch CNN are “the people who clean the offices at CNN.”

He then joked that CNN’s ratings are so low that when the network’s logo comes on the television screen, James Earl Jones now asks, “You’re Watching CNN?”

O’Brien was referring to the famous voiceover in the network’s commercials that CNN boss Jeff Zucker brought back. In that spot, the legendary actor enthusiastically says, “You’re Watching CNN!”

The TBS late-night talk show host mocked the network twice for an inaccurate report made during their coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing investigation weeks ago–once during the opening of his monologue, then a second time when relaying an anecdote of MSNBC employee Chuck Todd advising a coworker on-air to hold off on unconfirmed speculation.

During the Boston Marathon bombings coverage, more viewers watched Fox News than CNN for breaking news coverage. 

O’Brien couldn’t resist but send up outspoken primetime host Piers Morgan, as well. “CNN has made some very odd moves,” he said. “For example, they replaced the popular Larry King with one of the scheming footmen from ‘Downton Abbey.'”

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