Gayle King and Charles Barkley were recruited by ex-CNN boss Chris Licht to revive the network's cratering audience
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The star power behind CNN's weekly primetime experiment "King Charles" has quickly lost its luster among viewers as the network continues struggling to maintain a sturdy programming lineup.
"King Charles," named after co-hosts Gayle King and Charles Barkley, premiered in late November with a dismal audience of 500,000 total viewers and 139,000 in the advertiser-coveted demographic of ages 25-54, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Since then, viewership cratered a whopping 20% as the Jan. 31 broadcast fell to 400,000 total viewers. Just 89,000 of those in the key demo, a stunning 36% drop.
"King Charles" has been a ratings dud for CNN despite the star power behind the once-a-week primetime program. (Screenshot/CNN)
"King Charles" was the brainchild of ousted CNN boss Chris Licht. Licht recruited King, whom he had previously worked with as the executive producer of "CBS This Morning" (King still co-hosts, now called "CBS Mornings"), and relied on in-house talent within the Warner Bros. Discovery umbrella as Barkley remains a popular sports analyst for CNN's sister network TNT.
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Both King and Barkley had been outspoken about how they weren't looking for a new job until Licht approached them, then embraced the idea of having each other as co-hosts.
But Barkley remained candid about CNN's dire straits. Last year, as talks were underway, Barkley openly referred to CNN as a "s---show" and joked he was "jumping on the Titanic" after the show was announced.
Ex-CNN boss Chris Licht was the mastermind behind the struggling primetime show "King Charles," which debuted after his firing. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
"King Charles" took a page from Rachel Maddow's playbook, airing just once a week on Wednesdays instead of broadcasting every weeknight, something Barkley had refused to do.
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The show attempted to break the mold of CNN's typical programming, focusing less on politics and inviting cultural figures like rapper Fat Joe and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr as its inaugural guests. Actors Billy Crystal, Niecy Nash, Keegan-Michael Key and Corey Hawkins appeared as well as a rotation of CNN personalities. King and Charles would also occasionally chat with newsmakers like Secretary of State Antony Blinkin.
CNN hoped the star power of former NBA all-star Charles Barkley and CBS darling Gayle King would help juice the network's dismal ratings. (Getty Images)
Licht did not last long enough to see his creation come to fruition as he was fired months before the debut of "King Charles" due to internal strife. The program marked a last-ditch effort by CNN's top brass to seek outside talent to juice its diminished ratings. That was not successful in this case.
CNN's viewership debacle goes beyond its primetime programming. The network recently announced an overhaul of its daytime lineup, effectively quashing Licht's other brainchild "CNN This Morning" and shuffling other anchors in the AM timeslots.
Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to
