‘CNN NewsNight’ crams controversy and cooking talk into one show as part of ‘Summer Fridays’

“CNN NewsNight” kicked off what appears to be a weekly summer experiment from the studios of sister network Food Network May 30, 2025.

‘CNN NewsNight’ teams up with Food Network for ‘Summer Fridays’

The broadcast had previously announced that it would hold what it called “Summer Fridays” from the New York studios of Food Network, which is owned by CNN parent Warner Bros. Discovery.

For the first installation, the network had anchor Abby Phillip broadcasting from the Warner Bros. Discovery building at 230 Park Avenue South in New York City. 

The building, which is between 18th and 19th streets, had been Discovery Communications’ headquarters since 2019, when it moved to the city from Maryland. After merging with WarnerMedia to become WBD, the building was retained as global corporate headquarters for the company.

CNN, meanwhile, operates out of 30 Hudson Yards. It moved there in 2019 from what had been known as TimeWarner Center on Columbus Circle.

In 2022, WBD, working with architecture firm Meridian Design, WBD converted a ground-floor retail space in the building into a working studio and kitchen, which is where Phillip anchored May 30’s program.

The space, which features multiple stations over 75,000 square feet, is also set up with elements such as a lighting grid and broadcasting hookups.

For “NewsNight,” CNN took over one of the space’s islands, with Phillip perched on a stool near a range. That evening’s on-air guests, meanwhile, were on matching stools along the short end of the island. The setup appears a bit awkward because none of these positions had knee space for guests, given that it wasn’t designed as an on-air desk.

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In addition to the large Food Network branding already installed in the space, CNN also brought in some dimensional versions of its logo into the space, including placing one to appear just over Phillip’s left shoulder.

This one-shot also included a sink and what appeared to be commercial cooking equipment, also featured some decorative plants and a red mixer peaking out over her other shoulder. Both Food Network and CNN use a red as a primary color.

There was a small studio audience brought in, with some seated around other islands or at high boys, enjoying food that had been set out. It was not clear how the audience was selected. Some of the audience members could be seen checking mobile phones in the background, which is often a no-no in studio audience opportunities open to the general public.

Wall-mounted video panels and the LED ribbon above the windows facing 19th Street were decked out with “NewsNight” and “Summer Fridays” branding, with blue uplighting also used.

It appeared the overall vibe was an attempt to create a more casual, Friday after-work vibe.

Given that the show was taking place inside of a kitchen, the network did offer up a some cooking segments as well as a discussion of each guest’s favorite meal, though both segments felt a bit forced and more like something that should on a morning or lifestyle show than one designed to combine multiple perspectives on hot-button issues. 

Overall, it felt a bit odd to see guests sitting around a kitchen island discussing issues such as Elon Musk’s departure from DOGE and controversy over transgender athletes. 

CNN did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the program’s weekly shift to the Food Network studios.

Food content is often a popular part of some television news programs and also has the potential to perform well on digital, while also bringing in a certain segment of viewers that could be important for a network’s ratings, particularly in certain demos, though CNN has not indicated if any of these factors played a role in the Friday night experiment.

It’s never been made entirely clear why, exactly, the network is using the Food Network space and bringing in food themed content. It’s possible the show is looking to try out a more informal feel and is using the Food Network space to test it out without committing to a format change yet. By billing the approach as “Summer Fridays,” the show has a built-in excuse for ending the effort if it’s doesn’t pan out, though it’s hard to imagine it being abandoned if it performs well with viewers (it’s also possible it could use such an approach five nights a week, though there has been no sign of such a plan).