In response to a significant decline in ratings over the past year, CNN made significant changes to its primetime programming lineup on Monday.
CNN’s Abby Phillip will present the 10:00 p.m. hour, while Laura Coates will host the 11:00 p.m. hour, as announced by the network. Following the termination of former anchor Chris Cuomo by the network in December 2021 and Don Lemon’s subsequent reassignment to the program “CNN This Morning” in November 2022, the two positions have remained unfilled.
CNN has announced that Phil Mattingly, the leading White House correspondent, will co-host “CNN This Morning” alongside Poppy Harlow. Harlow, Lemon, and Kaitlan Collins were the original cast members of the program. In April, the network terminated Lemon’s employment, leaving two seats vacant. Collins was subsequently awarded her own program at 9:00 p.m.
According to CNN, Kasie Hunt will take over hosting duties for “Early Start” following Christine Romans’ departure in late July. In addition, Pamela Brown is scheduled to present a brand-new program at 3 p.m.
In addition, the network is currently reorganizing its weekend programming. According to a CNN statement, Victor Blackwell has been designated as the anchor of a Saturday morning program scheduled to air at 8:00 a.m. Additionally, Chris Wallace will host a program at 10:00 a.m., and Christiane Amanpour will follow at 11:00 a.m.
The current reorganization at the network is the latest in a succession of modifications made in response to the network’s ongoing struggles with low ratings and profits. In the previous fiscal year, CNN’s revenue fell below $1 billion for the first time since 2016; this was the first time in three years. Increasing prevalence of streaming services may be responsible for this decline. In addition, CNN received its lowest ratings among the key 25-54 age demographic, a metric that has been monitored since 1992.
CNN Announces New Programming Lineup@abbydphillip to Anchor 10pm & @thelauracoates to Anchor 11pm
Christiane @Amanpour & Chris Wallace to Launch New Weekend Shows@Kasie Hunt to Anchor Early Start & @Phil_Mattingly to Co-Anchor CNN This Morning & morehttps://t.co/YDOXjtXgyx pic.twitter.com/3fDdR4zdjY
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) August 14, 2023
The outlet reported, “CNN’s interim leadership team — made up of Amy Entelis, David Leavy, Virginia Moseley, and Eric Sherling — is hoping that the new lineup will boost ratings by breathing new life into the lineup in preparation for the 2024 presidential cycle. The team is making a not-so-subtle bet that its younger, up-and-coming talent are best suited to position the network for the future.”
“One of CNN’s key differentiators is our deep roster of experienced journalists, reporters and storytellers,” CNN’s four-person leadership team said in a statement. “Many joined CNN early in their careers and have grown with the network throughout the years.”
The leadership team described the group of hosts as “extraordinarily talented” and said they “share the same CNN sensibility: versatility, determination and an inquisitive and empathetic approach to reporting the news.”
“By expanding the range and depth of our programming lineup across multiple dayparts, we are strengthening our reporting excellence throughout the schedule, elevating our ability to tell great stories across platforms, and doubling down on CNN’s position as the most trusted name in news,” they said.
In 2022, Chris Licht, the former CNN president, succeeded Jeff Zucker as the network’s leader. However, he was terminated early in June from his position at the network.
Former vice president Mike Pence spoke to Republican electors in Des Moines, Iowa, during a CNN Town Hall in June.
Strangely, the event occurred on the same day that Chris Licht, the director of CNN, was dismissed by the network, in large part because he supported a Trump Town Hall that prompted the “most trusted name in news”‘ dissenters to openly revolt.
Pence, a former congressman, governor, and Trump ally from Indiana, spoke with host Dana Bash for 90 minutes about a variety of topics, including his desire to become president, abortion, and Ukraine.
Regarding the events surrounding January 6, he tossed Trump and MAGA patriots under the wagon.
Trump was misled to believe that the vice president could annul the election, according to Pence.
…I felt that he was asking me to choose between him and the Constitution. I chose the Constitution. And I always will.
I said today President Trump was wrong then, he’s wrong now.
He went even further, though, and declared that Trump should never again hold the position of President.
Anyone who puts themselves above the Constitution should never be president in the first place. And anyone who asks anyone else to put themselves over the Constitution should never be president again.
If elected, Pence indicated he will not pardon any J6 members:
You know, on the day of January 6, I issued a tweet demanding that people leave the Capitol. And grounds.
I said that those that failed to do that should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and I continue to believe that today.
Mike Pence when asked if he would pardon any J6 prisoners
“I have no interest or no intention of pardoning those that assaulted police officers, or vandalized our Capitol.”
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 8, 2023
Pence presumably was unaware of the most recent news regarding that day, which stated that hundreds of demonstrators were admitted by Capitol Police.
During the incidents of January 6, a Capitol side door was largely unguarded and unlocked. According to police security footage obtained by the media, more than 300 individuals were permitted unhindered entry into the Congress building, despite officers’ efforts to keep demonstrators out of other areas.