Former NBA star Charles Barkley said people are warning him against joining CNN to co-host a show slated to debut this fall.
The fan-favorite “NBA on TNT” analyst will host a prime-time CNN show titled “King Charles” alongside “CBS Mornings” anchor Gayle King beginning in the fall, but Barkley said “everybody” is telling him to “abort” the planned show, presumably because of the network’s continued leadership and ratings struggles.
“Apparently, with this new talk show, I’m jumping on the Titanic,” Barkley said while making a guest appearance on the “NHL on TNT” during the Stanley Cup Finals.
“Everybody keeps saying ‘abort, abort.’ No, no. I am looking forward to it. Gayle is awesome,” Barkley added.
A man that needs no introduction… Charles Barkley has joined the @NHL_On_TNT desk and it is GOLD 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sduvrWneD8
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 10, 2023
CNN’s ratings have plummeted in the past year. Despite a boost from a town hall with former President Donald Trump, CNN posted a 25% viewership decline in May compared to a year ago, The New York Post reported. In March of this year, CNN saw its lowest-rated month since April 2015.
The network has undergone some major changes since Barkley’s show was first announced by ex-CEO Chris Licht in April. Last week, Licht announced he will be leaving CNN after meeting with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. Licht will be replaced in the interim by a three-person leadership team as CNN searches for a new CEO.
Barkley, who has routinely criticized cancel culture and both political parties, said that he wants his new show to be “nonpolitical,” but added that it will touch on political topics. Barkley’s co-host King has anchored CBS’ morning shows since 2011 and has been criticized for favoring Democrats. The journalist vacationed with the Obamas shortly after President Barack Obama left the White House in 2017 and has donated to Obama and the Democratic Party.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP
“You know (Gayle King) is going to be a straight shooter. I’m going to be a straight shooter,” Barkley said when the show was first announced. “I know she’s going to be fair and honest and you know I’m going to do the same thing.”