Campbell Brown Leaving CNN: 'I Pay Attention to Ratings'

Compounding CNN’s ratings problems, the prime-time anchor Campbell Brown said Wednesday that she was leaving the cable news channel.

Ms. Brown said it was her decision to leave, and that she would remain the anchor of the 8 p.m. hour on CNN during “the transition.”

In a lengthy and heartfelt statement, she wrote, “Simply put, the ratings for my program are not where I would like them to be.”

To be clear: this is my decision, and one that I have been thinking about for some time. As for why, I could have said, that I am stepping down to spend more time with my children (which I truly want to do). Or that I am leaving to pursue other opportunities (which I also truly want to do). But I have never had much tolerance for others’ spin, so I can’t imagine trying to stomach my own. The simple fact is that not enough people want to watch my program, and I owe it to myself and to CNN to get out of the way so that CNN can try something else.

CNN will have to figure out what that is. The 8pm hour in cable news world is currently driven by the indomitable Bill O’Reilly, Nancy Grace and Keith Olbermann. Shedding my own journalistic skin to try to inhabit the kind of persona that might co-exist in that line up is simply impossible for me. It is not who I am or who I want to be; nor is it who CNN asked me to be at any point. This is the right decision for me and I hope it will be a great opportunity for CNN.

ALSO:

CNN Grants Campbell Brown's Request for Early Release from Contract