"I don't spend a lot of time thinking about or analyzing their decisions," he added. "They've tried a lot of different things over the years. They'll probably try something different next year."
That drew a heated response from Phil Griffin, the NBC News executive who oversees the cable channel.
"That's an outrageous statement, but it fits CNN, which is living in the past," he said. "The last two years, MSNBC has been focused and has figured out who and what it is. . . . For the first time, this is a three-way race. If he's not scared now, he better start getting scared."
Rival network executives argue that much of CNN's ratings bounce this year is due to its widely watched debates, helping it beat Fox News in the key advertising demographic (ages 25 to 54) in the first quarter of this year.
There's no question CNN was buoyed by the extended Democratic primary season (the network won the key demographic 15 out of 17 primary nights). But it has had some trouble retaining the new viewers who have tuned in. On Super Tuesday, for example, CNN averaged 3.65 million total viewers in prime time but drew an average of 1.3 million in prime time the following week.
When the campaign season ends, Klein admits, the cable news audience will likely ebb. But he maintains CNN will hold on to viewers by bringing its "exuberance and expertise" to such issues as healthcare and the economy. In case the presidential race slows down later this year, the network is readying a slew of documentaries, including new installments of "Black in America" and "Planet in Peril."
If it all sounds very serious-minded, there's a reason.
"The secret for us has been weaning ourselves from tabloid stories," Klein said. "Why else would you go to a news channel, if not to better inform yourself?"
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matea.gold@latimes.com
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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)
Cable news gains so far this year
The competitive Democratic presidential primary lifted the ratings of all three cable news networks this year, although CNN, which hosted four much-watched debates, gained the most viewers. It also enjoyed the biggest boost among 25- to 54-year-olds, the demographic most important to advertisers.
Prime-time viewership, total viewers (though June 1)
Fox News this year: 1.69 million
Fox News last year: 1.50 million
CNN this year: 1.11 million
CNN last year: 738,000
MSNBC this year: 706,000
MSNBC last year: 482,000
Prime-time viewership, 25- to 54-year-olds (through June 1)
Fox News this year: 384,000
Fox News last year: 362,000
CNN this year: 371,000
CNN last year: 232,000
MSNBC this year: 289,000
MSNBC last year: 189,000
Source: Nielsen Media Research
