Rankings-challenged CNN will reportedly transfer veteran anchor Wolf Blitzer to a brand new slot within the mornings as a part of a wider reshuffle by the embattled cable information pioneer’s boss Mark Thompson.
The 76-year-old Blitzer, one of many community’s longest-tenured anchors and present host of “The Situation Room” at 6 p.m., will likely be teamed with Pamela Brown on a brand new morning present, sources informed Standing e-newsletter on Thursday.
The shakeup may additionally embody frequent Donald Trump antagonist Jim Acosta being bounced as anchor of “CNN Newsroom” at 10 a.m., the sources stated.
Thompson, the previous BBC and New York Occasions head honcho who was introduced in by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to proper the ship at CNN, may shift pre-dawn anchor Kasie Hunt to the afternoons, in keeping with the e-newsletter, written by former CNN media analyst Oliver Darcy.
CNN declined to remark when contacted by The Publish.
Blitzer not too long ago signed a brand new multi-year take care of CNN, whereas Brown at the moment leads CNN’s 11 a.m. programming in the course of the week.
It’s unclear whether or not the brand new Blitzer-Brown pairing within the morning will undertake Blitzer’s signature “Situation Room” branding or debut underneath a special identify.
Nonetheless, the reported change means Blitzer’s display screen time will improve by an hour every day.
The rearranging of the anchor chairs is a part of Thompson’s plan to pave the best way for a brand new era of on-air expertise, in keeping with Darcy.
The choice to shift Blitzer, who was not too long ago mocked on social media for his outdated tv setup, to mornings permits CNN to maintain considered one of its most revered anchors on air whereas additionally step by step transitioning him out of the night lineup.
However the change means CNN should tweak the remainder of its lineup by slicing an hour of programming.
One situation being thought of underneath dialogue is shifting Hunt, the previous MSNBC anchor and Related Press scribe, from early mornings to 4 p.m. — a transfer that may elevate her profile considerably.
Hunt, who at the moment pulls down a wage north of $1 million per 12 months, hosts “Early Start,” which airs every day from 5 a.m. to six a.m.
Giving Hunt a high-profile afternoon slot aligns with the community’s strategic priorities, although it could create inside competitors with different anchors eyeing an analogous place.
If Hunt takes over at 4 p.m., CNN would shift Jake Tapper’s present “The Lead” to a 5 p.m.-to-7 p.m. block, putting him nearer to prime time, in keeping with Standing.
CNN would then have to confront the query of who replaces Hunt within the mornings.
In accordance with Standing, one risk being floated is a split-hour association, with enterprise correspondent Rahel Solomon anchoring 5 a.m. and former NPR host Audie Cornish dealing with 6 a.m.
To accommodate Blitzer and Brown’s two-hour morning program, CNN wants to search out a further hour in its schedule.
One potential casualty is Acosta’s present.
Another choice could possibly be lowering CNN Information Central from three hours to 2 hours, however the low value of manufacturing the present makes it extra seemingly that Acosta’s program can be the casualty, Standing reported.
It’s unclear what position Acosta would have if the present have been canceled.
The community can be contemplating different adjustments to its programing, together with increasing Erin Burnett’s nightly present, in keeping with Standing.
CNN’s scores have declined considerably following Trump’s latest election victory.
In 2024, the community averaged 92,000 viewers in the important thing 25-to-54-year-old demographic, marking a 1% drop from the earlier 12 months’s low, and 77,000 throughout primetime, a 52% decline from the prior 12 months.
Total, primetime viewership fell by 45% to 405,000 viewers.
In distinction, Fox Information captured 72% of primetime cable information viewership, with a 7% improve because the election.
CNN additionally lags behind second-place MSNBC, the Comcast-owned left-leaning community that can be within the midst of main adjustments to its company construction and administration workforce.
The Publish and Fox Information share frequent possession.