Greg D’Alba, president of ad sales for CNN, told Steinberg about the network's attempt to expand its brand to attract advertisers who have something to say to younger people — a shift from the admitted perception that CNN is a place for "serious" advertisers.

But CNN's dreadful ratings on Tuesday — coincidentally, the same day as Steinberg's story was released — paint a picture of how far the network still has to go in its quest to lure younger viewers.

CNN finished dead last among cable news networks with viewers in the 25-54 age group on Tuesday, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research.