CNN, which has struggled with ratings problems, has canceled its scandal-hit morning news show in a major shake-up, the cable network announced Monday.
“CNN This Morning,” which started with three hosts before Don Lemon was fired in November 2022, will no longer be broadcast from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., CNN chief Mark Thompson said. stated in a memo to staff.
The show’s current co-anchors, Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly, will be reassigned, and the network will move from mornings in New York City to 50 people who used to produce “CNN This Morning” in the glitzy Hudson Yards. will give up production of the program. The studio asked me to reapply for the job.
The “CNN This Morning” brand will continue in a new format with former MSNBC correspondent Casey Hunt anchoring the show from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. from Washington, D.C. According to CNN.
“They’re all about politics,” a person close to the situation told The Post on Monday.
Another network insider said the decision was likely cost-related as Thompson seeks to shore up digital operations while stemming viewership declines across the network.
“The prime-time anchor is freaking out,” the source added.
“No one feels safe.”
The news program “CNN News Central,” which is broadcast from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., will be moved forward by two hours and will be broadcast from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
The show is directed by co-anchors John Berman, Kate Bolduan and Sarah Sydner from CNN headquarters in Atlanta.
Jim Acosta, a former White House correspondent known for his heated exchanges with then-President Donald Trump and his aides, will anchor the hour-long program, which begins daily at 10 a.m.
Brown is currently on maternity leave and veteran anchor Wolf Blitzer will serve as host on an interim basis, the station said.
The Post has reached out to CNN for comment.
In the memo, Thompson said the “change in strategic direction” “reflects the talent, expertise and dedication of our New York-based editorial production and operations teams who have worked on the morning’s deliverables.” It’s not a thing,” he said.
“I am very aware that today’s announcement means a great deal of uncertainty for many of our valued colleagues,” Thompson said.
“Change and uncertainty are inevitable in an industry undergoing revolution,” he said, adding that networks “must never underestimate the human impact that will follow.”
The change comes as the network’s morning ratings have slumped and CNN has fallen far behind rivals Fox and MSNBC.
According to Nielsen ratings, “CNN This Morning” averaged 322,000 total viewers last month, lower than the 988,000 who watched MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “Fox & Friends” was the most-watched morning cable news show last month, averaging 1.068 million viewers.
CNN also lagged in the coveted 25-to-54 age group, averaging just 64,000 viewers last month. By comparison, Fox had 144,000 and MSNBC 104,000, according to Nielsen.
CNN This Morning was the brainchild of former CEO Chris Licht, who was fired last summer after a disastrous 14-month stint as network chief.
Richt originally cast Harlow as co-anchors, along with Caitlan Collins and Lemon.
However, a lack of chemistry and tension between Lemon and Collins, as well as Lemon’s offhand comment that Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was 51 years old and “not in her prime,” ultimately led to Lemon’s firing. Ta.
Fox News is owned by Fox Corp., a sister company to The Post’s parent company, News Corp.
