Timcast IRL · January 13, 2022 · 2h 0m
Timcast IRL #445 - CNN Lost NINETY PERCENT Of Its Key Audience, Narrative COLLAPSES w/Batya Ungar-Sargon
Episode Recap
Timcast IRL episode 445, recorded on January 13, 2022, centered on the dramatic decline of CNN's ratings, which had dropped by as much as 90% from the previous year. Tim Pool opened the show discussing the cable news network's abysmal viewership numbers, including a mere 113,000 viewers in the key 25-54 demographic compared to 822,000 a year prior. He contrasted CNN's struggles with Timcast's own audience, noting they regularly reach half a million viewers on YouTube while being dismissed as 'internet yokels.' The conversation also touched on controversial news stories, including Ronald McDonald House allegedly requiring vaccination and reports from Bloomberg and the New York Times suggesting booster shots might cause immune system issues. Batya Ungar-Sargon, Deputy Opinion Editor at Newsweek and author of 'Bad News: How Woke Media is Undermining Democracy,' joined the discussion to analyze how corporate media's declining credibility reflects broader shifts in public trust. The co-hosts discussed how the mainstream media 'narrative is busted' and how audiences are increasingly turning away from traditional cable news toward independent media alternatives.
TL;DR
- →CNN's ratings plummet 90% with only 113,000 viewers in the key 25-54 demographic, prompting discussion about mainstream media decline
- →Tim Pool and co-hosts compare Timcast's audience numbers (500,000+) to CNN's struggling viewership, noting the shift away from traditional cable news
- →Bloomberg and New York Times reports emerge suggesting booster shots may cause immune system issues, raising questions about official vaccine guidance
- →Batya Ungar-Sargon joins to discuss her book 'Bad News: How Woke Media is Undermining Democracy' and the broader crisis of confidence in mainstream media
- →Ronald McDonald House controversy discussed regarding vaccination requirements for children
- →The panel analyzes how the mainstream media 'narrative is busted' and explores why audiences are increasingly rejecting corporate press coverage
Key Moments
- 0:00Opening - CNN Ratings CrisisTim Pool opens discussing CNN's 90% ratings decline and reading from Daily Mail coverage of the network's viewership collapse
- 3:00Media Industry AnalysisDiscussion comparing Timcast's audience reach to CNN's struggling numbers and what this means for traditional media
- 8:00Guest IntroductionBatya Ungar-Sargon introduced as Deputy Opinion Editor at Newsweek and author of 'Bad News: How Woke Media is Undermining Democracy'
- 15:00Vaccine News DiscussionBloomberg and New York Times reports on booster shots and immune system concerns discussed with medical disclaimer
- 25:00Media Trust DebateDeep dive into why audiences are rejecting mainstream media narratives and what this means for democracy
- 35:00Closing RemarksFinal thoughts and call for support at timcast.com
Notable Quotes
“CNN's ratings are down 90%. Wow, that's bad. We get half a million on YouTube and we're just some like internet yokels complaining to cameras. CNN, they're on the way out. The narrative is busted.”
— Tim Pool · opening discussion of main story
“If you want to understand how bad that is, you can just look at our videos and they'll have 350 to 500,000 views. Our audience is like 90% key demographic. So if we're getting half a million people per night and CNN is getting none, well, I guess it's good news.”
— Tim Pool · comparing Timcast audience to CNN ratings
“I'm the Deputy Opinion Editor of Newsweek and the author of a book called Bad News, How Woke Media is Undermining Democracy.”
— Batya Ungar-Sargon · self-introduction
“The narrative is breaking. The matrix is shattering. People are starting to get away from corporate press BS.”
— Tim Pool · analysis of media landscape
“I usually start my day around 7 and end at around 5 a.m. It's been really intense, and I'm happy to be here.”
— Ian Crossland · co-host introduction