E! News Shutters After 30 Years, Marking the End of Cable's Celebrity News Era

The demise of E! News, which will air its final TV broadcast on September 25, signifies the end of a golden age for celebrity news. For over three decades, the cable TV show had been a go-to destination for breaking Hollywood headlines and red carpet coverage. However, the rise of social media and the shifting landscape of television have led to the show's downfall.

E! News, which launched in 1991, was known for its innovative approach to entertainment journalism, treating showbiz with the same seriousness as CNN's coverage of politics and crime. The show's heyday was from 2008 to 2012, when it covered the scandals and triumphs of celebrities like Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and Britney Spears. Former anchor Jason Kennedy reminisces about the "untouchable time in entertainment news" and the 24/7 coverage of events like the deaths of Michael Jackson and Anna Nicole Smith.

However, the changing media landscape has made it increasingly difficult for cable news shows to maintain relevance. As more people turn to social media for their celebrity news fix, E! News has struggled to adapt. Its demise, along with the shuttering of MTV News in 2023, marks the end of an era where cable TV was the dominant platform for entertainment journalism.