It's sad but true: CNN International (DStv 401) is now trashing it up, wasting time and denting its credibility and reputation as a news source, stooping to use American tabloid trash such as Us Weekly as a news source and for commentary broadcast globally.
CNN International has always mostly maintained an almost "church and state" like separation between its struggling, inwardly Ameri-cocooned, pandering and severely ratings challenged CNN domestic channel in the United States, and its more successful, more global, and less trashy international CNN International channel feed.
But now CNN International seems to have succumbed to the oh-so trashy, tittle-tattle of tabloid news, willing to use and waste expensive satellite transponder time and space to have people like news anchor Isha Sesay ham it up with Us Weekly talking about British princess Kate Middleton's "who appears to be back in pre-baby shape".
CNN International, doing tabloid news in what is sold to viewers as a credible and serious news programme such as NewsCenter, must clearly be feeling that providing viewers with partially hydrogenated television trash is what forms part of its new news of relevance, world importance and that it is news of international consequence.
Talking to Us Weekly's Ian Drew on Kate Middleton's weight (because that is of international news importance) on Thursday night on CNN International, a smiling Isha Sesay said she will have three doughnuts now.
Us Weekly - a trashy read on par with OK! and National Enquirer and which has often gotten news wrong, now also appears regularly on CNN International to aid news and commentary.
If, as a viewer and as a TV critic I wanted that, I would have watched E! Entertainment (which i do when that news offering has relevance). What I don't want is to watch this on CNN International and done almost in a laissez-faire way as "legitimate" news.
It's not news. And as Richard Quest of Quest Means Business always (perhaps hollowly?) intones about CNN International: "This is the network where the news always comes first".
CNN International's sterling weekday Amanpour still remains the very best across all international TV news channels of what the medium of 24-hour TV news is capable of producing on a daily basis with the resources and reach available to news networks.
Putting trash like Us Weekly on the air on CNN International detracts from what other shows like Amanpour, International Desk, News Stream and Fareed Zakaria GPS work so hard to try and achieve.
CNN International should add Showbiz Tonight from its American sister channel HLN to its schedule if it feels compelled to bring viewers celebri-dishing over things such as Kate Middleton's post-baby weight.
It's sad that CNN International deliberately chooses to dilute it brand by devoting time, associating itself, and giving air to things and other brands which not only distracts, but detracts, from what CNN has once built its name around: real news.
