By By Geoffrey Sorensen
The CNN anchor who visited the University on Oct. 26 and told students to never have a Plan B on which to fall back on, anchored his final broadcast on the network two nights later.
CNN announced on Nov. 2 that “NewsNight,” anchored by 56-year-old Aaron Brown, would be replaced by “Anderson Cooper 360” with the 38-year-old anchor at the desk. The changes were widely seen as an attempt to increase the cable network’s struggling ratings and become more competitive with the Fox News Channel, which often at least doubles CNN’s viewership in prime time.
Both anchors were said to be away on vacation that week and Cooper’s updated show began this Monday.
Cooper was named Brown’s co-anchor at 10 p.m. in September after receiving mostly positive reviews in the media for his coverage of Hurricane Katrina.
Brown joined CNN in September 2001 after anchoring ABC’s “World News Tonight Saturday” as well as reporting for other ABC News broadcasts. Cooper joined the network three months later, also from ABC, where he was a correspondent and two-time host of the reality show “The Mole.”
“We have made some programming decisions which will impact our prime time schedule as well as our colleague Aaron Brown,” Jonathan Klein, president of CNN/U.S., said to his staff in a memo available at www.tvnewser.com. “Aaron will be leaving CNN and is very much looking forward to some well-deserved time off with his family.”
Speaking at the University two weeks ago, Brown hinted about upcoming changes, saying that he wanted to write a new chapter in his life but also that his agent was perfectly happy with the then-current chapter being written.
Assistant Dean Susan Murphy of the School of Communication said she had been working with her contact at CNN for about a month to bring Brown to the University.
“I wanted to bring Aaron Brown to campus because of his stature in the broadcast news field,” she said. “News industry stars are often difficult to book because their time is so precious!”
Murphy added that CNN made a business decision in replacing Brown with Cooper.
“CNN is simply taking advantage of an opportunity to bring in younger, or more viewers with an anchor who’s been in the headlines a lot,” she said.
Klein was quoted by The New York Times as saying the fact that Cooper’s character has been satirized on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” is a “sure sign” that people know of Cooper. Referring to the press attention from Cooper’s hurricane coverage, Klein told The Times, “Clearly, America is embracing Anderson Cooper.”
Murphy added that she would have liked to see Brown given a new timeslot.
“He has a lot to offer and CNN should not have cut his ties,” she said, predicting that viewers would follow Brown to where he eventually ends up.
Brown chose to not respond directly to questions sent to his still-functioning CNN e-mail address, using his BlackBerry device to say simply, “No plan B ever.”
Cooper took note Monday of the fact that Brown’s “NewsNight” would have turned four years old Nov. 5. After a brief video retrospective, Cooper paid tribute to Brown.
“Aaron Brown is not only a terrific anchor and reporter,” he said. “He has also been remarkably generous to me and to all those he worked with, generous with his time, his attention, and his knowledge. We shall miss him and all the people here who worked with him will miss him, as well. Thanks, Aaron.”