Was there any rational-thinking media watcher who thought the end of the Don Lemon era at CNN would not be messy? The anchor who somehow crafted a career in front of a camera hosting shows that few people watched made it pretty clear he will make life miserable for CNN execs.
After he was jettisoned by CNN Monday, Lemon issued a statement saying the firing blindsided him and he didn’t get a chance to speak with management about it.
Not so fast, say his employers. “Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate. He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”
Lemon specifically said his agent told him he was terminated and went on to say in his statement, “After 17 years at CNN, I could have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play.”
Don. There is something in the television industry that is referred to as “ratings.” The idea is to have enough people enjoy your work so you build job security. When you couple an insufferable persona, over-the-top bias, and the sound of crickets when your program comes on, there is a good chance you might not last long if you have serious-minded bosses.
We can only hope this turns into a nasty and bitter dispute that reveals all kinds of sordid details.
I’d say there’s a pretty good chance it is already happening.
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