The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2007–2017
CNN ended its decade-long New Year's Eve partnership in one day
A decade-old co-hosting duo ended in 24 hours over one photo; the replacement was announced five months later and the show went on.
CNN · 2017-05-31
What happened
On 30 May 2017 Kathy Griffin, who had co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve special with Anderson Cooper since 2007, posted a photo of herself holding a severed-head prop resembling Donald Trump. She deleted the images and apologised within hours. The next day CNN ended the arrangement; spokesman Shimrit Sheetrit's statement read: 'CNN has terminated our agreement with Kathy Griffin to appear on our New Year's Eve program.'
A second CNN statement called the photo 'disgusting and offensive' and said the network was pleased she had apologised. The 24-hour decision ended a partnership a decade in the making, and the fallout reached Griffin's other commercial deals: Squatty Potty suspended the campaign it had launched with her, and a casino in New Mexico scrapped a scheduled performance.
CNN did not stay shorthanded long. On 11 October 2017 it announced Andy Cohen as the new co-host, and the 2017–18 edition of the special aired on 31 December with Cooper and Cohen. The show carried on as planned — what the network actually lost was a pairing it had built over ten years.
Why it happened
- The decision was made in hours: the photo appeared on 30 May, the termination was announced the next day, and the statement gave the reason in one sentence with no mention of any possible return.
- The decade of co-hosting was the asset: the Cooper–Griffin pairing had anchored the special since 2007, and the network priced the partnership at zero the moment the photo went public.
- The replacement was waiting in the wings: Cohen was announced within five months and the special aired on schedule — the firing cost the pairing, not the program.
The lesson
One photo ended a decade-long partnership in 24 hours: CNN's statement left no room for return, the replacement came five months later, and the special aired as planned — the cost was the pairing.
Aftermath
CNN announced Andy Cohen as Griffin's replacement on 11 October 2017, and the 2017–18 New Year's Eve special aired on 31 December 2017 with Cooper and Cohen as hosts. Squatty Potty suspended the campaign featuring Griffin on 31 May 2017, and a casino in New Mexico scrapped her scheduled 22 July performance. Griffin apologised publicly and deleted the photo the same day it appeared.
Sources
- CNN fires Kathy Griffin from New Year's Eve gig over 'beheaded' Trump photo — CBS News, 31 May 2017
- CNN fires Kathy Griffin over offensive Donald Trump photo — USA Today, 31 May 2017
- Andy Cohen Replaces Kathy Griffin as CNN New Year's Eve Co-Host — The Hollywood Reporter, 11 October 2017
- New Year's Eve Live — Wikipedia
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