It appears we can bid aud lang syne to the golden era of CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live special being pure, uncut debauchery. This year’s festivities, which will again feature Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen drinking through the chill of Times Square, won’t feature the sidebar that often was Don Lemon and company imbibing elsewhere, according to Variety. Other correspondents and anchors will not be able to drink on or off-air because, according to new CNN honcho Chris Licht, past partying damaged the network’s “respectability” and hurt its credibility. Variety did not say whether Licht cited any specific audience opinions, including whether the viewers themselves drank on the holiday.
