In the words of a reader: "First Brad and Jennifer, then Nick and Jessica, and now this!" The Hotline reports:

CEO Gallup Jim Clifton wrote to employees: "We have chosen not to renew our contract with CNN. We have had a great relationship with CNN, but it is not the right alignment for our future. .... CNN has far fewer viewers than it did in the past, and we feel that our brand was getting lost and diluted."

Ouch. Well, in response to news, CNN SVP Laurie Goldberg e-mailed a statement to the Hotline. Clifton's statements "are not only unprofessional but in every respect untrue." Clifton told CNN pres. Jim Walton "that the reason that Gallup wanted to end their partnership was that the CNN brand was so dominant that Gallup wasn't getting the attention for the polls that they wanted."

Translation:

Gallup: "You know, we've had some nice times with CNN. But it's just not working. It didn't help that CNN was just letting himself go, putting on a few extra pounds..."

CNN: "Oh, that's ridiculous! Those extra pounds are pure muscle. You just couldn't handle it when we'd go to parties together, and every woman in the room would be checking me out!"

The lovers' quarrel continues, after the jump.

More from CNN:

"[T]he decision to not renew our polling arrangement had to do with Gallup's desire to produce their own broadcasts and not about CNN viewership figures. In fact, Gallup had negotiated with us for four months in an effort to extend the partnership... CNN's monthly '05 average was 66.7M, far and away the No. 1 source for cable news."

Translation:

"Those size rumors about us are completely baseless. If they were true, then why has Gallup been begging for it for the past four months?"

Final salvo from CNN:

"For the last few months, [CNN has] been in the process of reevaluating" their polling strategy "and have been in discussion with a number of other polling services. We hope to have an announcement of our new partner in the near future. It is unfortunate that Mr. Clifton's insecurity about the strength of the Gallup brand has pushed him to send out an inaccurate and unprofessional e-mail to his staff."

Translation:

"Look, we're sorry that you're insecure and have all these issues. But you know what? We've actually been dating around over the past few months. And when we show up at the next party with our new young hottie, it'll become pretty clear that we left you!"

Gallup/CNN Break-Up Gets Icky [Hotline]