With CNN president Jeffrey Zucker planning to “pull the plug” on Piers Morgan Live, ” Morgan admits his anti-gun rants divided and alienated viewers.
According to The New York Times, Zucker has been watching Morgan’s show hit new ratings lows and is ready to go a different way with the 9 p.m. slot.
Morgan spoke to the coming end by admitting he’s “been taking a bath in the ratings.” He added: “Look, I’m a British guy debating American cultural issues, including guns, which has been very polarizing, and there is no doubt that there are many in the audience who are tired of me banging on about it.”
Morgan believes he’s now “in danger of being the guy at the end of the bar who is always going on about the same thing”–guns, in this instance–and that he probably alienated a lot of heartland Americans by being “this British guy telling them how to lead their lives and what they should do with their guns.”
On February 21st, Breitbart News reported on a Variety Magazine article that showed Morgan’s already faltering ratings fell “more sharply” once gun control “became a frequent subject” on his show.
Breitbart News Senior Editor-at-Large Ben Shapiro and I debated gun laws on Morgan’s program on separate occasions. Washington Post media writer Erik Wemple characterized the former example as a one-sided bout where Morgan “struggled” and Shapiro “cornered the CNN host.” Regarding the latter, Morgan apologized for a factual error a few days after his discussion with me.
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins.