CNN president Jeff Zucker's vision for CNN+ is like the Today show of the 1990s -- hard news mixed with a heavy dose of lifestyle coverage

The New York Times

In marketing materials, CNN+ has urged viewers to “grab a coffee” while flipping on shows promoted as “never finicky” and “the silver lining beyond today’s toughest headlines.” Zucker, who was executive producer of Today in the 1990s, has raised eyebrows with his hiring of big names like Chris Wallace, Audie Cornish, Alison Roman, Eva Longoria and Rex Chapman to host shows on CNN+. "The prominent names represent a tier of talent that had previously been hesitant to commit to a news channel’s streaming service, especially an untested one," explain The New York Times' John Koblin and Michael M. Grynbaum. "Agents and producers have taken notice, as much for the big salaries on offer as for the prospect of a news-based streamer with a range of nonfiction programming, relying on more than the usual political talking heads." Zucker hopes the mixture of hard news and lifestyle will bring back old viewers and entice new ones. As Zucker put it: “We do want a service that has a wider aperture and is broader than just today’s bleak news."