CNN overhauls morning show lineup under new CEO amid sagging ratings
New York (CNN) — CNN announced Monday that it will overhaul its entire slate of morning programming, charting a new course under new chief executive Mark Thompson as the cable news network works to improve its lackluster ratings.
Posted — UpdatedThe network said that it will revamp its flagship morning offering, “CNN This Morning,” currently hosted by Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly. The show, which launched in 2022 by former network chief Chris Licht, never gained traction in the ratings.
“CNN This Morning,” which has aired from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET, will move to a new home in Washington, DC, where it will be anchored by Kasie Hunt from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. Prior to joining CNN in 2021, Hunt anchored mornings on MSNBC and played a key role on “Morning Joe,” the network’s politics-focused rival program that has long been a force in morning ratings.
CNN said that it is in talks with Harlow and Mattingly concerning new roles at the network. Thompson also said in a note to staffers that the changes “mean that we will no longer produce morning programming in New York and will be disbanding the team that currently produces ‘CNN This Morning’ in that city.”
CNN declined to say how many roles will be impacted as part of the changes, which are set to take effect later this month.
“What we are announcing today is a change in strategic direction and not a reflection on the talent, expertise and dedication of the New York based editorial production and operations teams who’ve worked on our morning output – they’re among the best in the business,” Thompson wrote in his memo to staffers. “We will be strongly encouraging them to apply for the many new open roles that we are making available this week in Atlanta and Washington, DC, along with a number of other open roles in New York in other programming blocks.”
As a result of the changes, “CNN News Central” will start two hours earlier, airing from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. That move in turn makes way for an additional two fresh hours of programming.
Filling those new hours will be a show anchored by Jim Acosta at 10 a.m. and a program anchored by Pamela Brown at 11 a.m. Since Brown is on maternity leave, Wolf Blitzer will anchor in the interim.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2024 by Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
