CNN, which has been plagued by ratings problems, is moving veteran anchor Wolf Blitzer to a new morning slot as part of a major reshuffle by Mark Thompson, the boss of the embattled cable news pioneer. It is reported that.
Blitzer, 76, is the station's longest-serving anchor and currently hosts “The Situation Room” at 6 p.m., and will team up with Pamela Brown on the new morning show, sources said. spoke. Thursday's status newsletter.
The shakeup could also include removing Donald Trump's opponent Jim Acosta from anchoring “CNN Newsroom” at 10 a.m., the people said.
Mr. Thompson, the former BBC and New York Times bureau chief brought in by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to get CNN's work back on track, also shifted pre-dawn anchor Casey Hunt to afternoons. Former CNN media analyst Oliver Darcy said in a newsletter he wrote.
CNN declined to comment when contacted by the Post.
Blitzer recently signed a new multi-year contract with CNN, and Brown currently helms CNN's weekday 11 a.m. show.
It's unclear whether the new Blitzer/Brown pairing that took place this morning will adopt Blitzer's signature “Situation Room” branding or debut under a different name.
Nevertheless, the reported changes mean Blitzer's screen time will increase by one hour each day.
Darcy said the anchor chair change is part of Thompson's plan to pave the way for a new generation of on-air talent.
The decision to shift Blitzer, who had recently been ridiculed on social media on social media for an outdated TV programming, meant CNN gradually removed him from the night lineup while keeping one of its most respected anchors on the air. It was also possible to remove it.
But the change means CNN will have to tweak the rest of its lineup by cutting its programming by an hour.
One scenario currently being considered is to move Hunt, a former MSNBC anchor and Associated Press reporter, from early morning until 4 p.m., which would significantly increase her profile. .
Hunt, who is currently taking a pay cut from his annual salary of more than $1 million, hosts “Early Start,” which airs daily from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m.
Giving Hunt a high-profile afternoon slot aligns with the network's strategic priorities, but could create internal competition with other anchors eyeing similar positions.
If Mr. Hunt takes over at 4 p.m., CNN would move Jake Tapper's show “The Lead” to the 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. slot, moving Mr. Hunt closer to prime time, according to the status.
CNN will then have to face the question of who will replace Mr. Hunt in the morning.
One possibility that's been floated is that business correspondent Rahel Solomon could anchor the show at 5 a.m., with former NPR host Audie Cornish anchoring the show at 6 a.m., according to Status. , it is said that the arrangement is to split the time.
CNN will need to find additional time in its schedule to accommodate Blitzer and Brown's two-hour morning show.
One potential victim is Acosta's show.
Another option would be to shorten CNN News Central from three hours to two hours, but that would more likely come at the expense of Acosta's show because it's cheaper to produce, Status reported.
It's unclear what role Acosta will play if the show is canceled.
The station is also considering other changes to its programming, including expanding Erin Burnett's nightly show, according to Status.
Following President Trump's recent election victory, CNN's ratings have dropped significantly.
In 2024, the network averaged 92,000 viewers in the key 25-54 demographic, down 1% from the previous year's low, and 77,000 in primetime, down 52% from the previous year.
Overall, prime-time viewership was down 45% to 405,000 viewers.
By contrast, FOX News captured 72% of prime-time cable news viewers, up 7% after the election.
CNN also lags behind second-place MSNBC, a left-leaning network owned by Comcast that is also undergoing major changes to its corporate structure and leadership.
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