‘Reliable Sources Daily’ and ‘The Source’ call it quits a week before CNN+’s demise

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CNN+ is shutting down April 29, 2022, but two of the failed streamer’s biggest shows called it quits a week before that.

“Reliable Sources Daily” and “The Source with Kasie Hunt” both signed off Friday, April 22, 2022, saying that it was their last edition.

CNN announced April 21, 2022, that CNN+ — a venture the company had poured more than $300 million into and hired a reported 700 staffers for — would shut down at the end of the month — after operating for less than a month.

It wasn’t immediately clear why the two shows wouldn’t continue production through the last day of the service but reasons could include talent wanting to distance themselves from what is widely seen as one of the biggest flops in media history to the reported lack of morale within the CNN+ division and how that could affect production a meager five more shows.

It’s also not clear if other shows will throw in the towel earlier or how CNN might handle the already promised prorated refunds for subscribers upset about losing two of the services shows — which essentially amount to a good chunk of its limited living programming (CNN ended up giving subscribers back all the money they had spent).

Some other shows, including “5 Things,” which had reportedly been one of the more popular shows on the service, didn’t acknowledge April 22 being their last day, so it appears they may continue into the service’s final week. This could also be indicative that at least some of these shows will continue on as digital-only products (“5 Things” appears to be particularly well-positioned to make that kind of jump given its shorter format).

Meanwhile, “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” doesn’t produce a Friday edition but its April 21, 2022, show alluded that it would continue to be available at least through the final day of the streamer. Neither “Big Picture” nor “The Newscast” made any mention of ending early on their Friday editions, in fact both closed with encouragements to viewers to keep streaming and watching on demand.

CNN+ has continued to offer what appears to be the full slate of its documentary programming archive.

Interestingly, according to CNN lore, founder Ted Turner commissioned a so-called “doomsday video” that the network will supposedly play at the end of the world.

During the network’s launch in 1980, Turner also said the network would play “Nearer My God To Thee” as the world is ending.

It appears that at least some CNN+ shows aren’t going to be sticking around for the end of the service with quite that level of dedication.