Ratings-challenged CNN will reportedly move veteran anchor Wolf Blitzer to a new slot in the mornings as part of a wider reshuffle by the embattled cable news pioneer’s boss Mark Thompson.
The 76-year-old Blitzer, one of the network’s longest-tenured anchors and current host of “The Situation Room” at 6 p.m., will be teamed with Pamela Brown on a new morning show, sources told Status newsletter on Thursday.
The shakeup could also include frequent Donald Trump antagonist Jim Acosta being bounced as anchor of “CNN Newsroom” at 10 a.m., the sources said.
Thompson, the former BBC and New York Times head honcho who was brought in by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to right the ship at CNN, may also shift pre-dawn anchor Kasie Hunt to the afternoons, according to the newsletter, written by former CNN media analyst Oliver Darcy.
CNN declined to comment when contacted by The Post.
Blitzer recently signed a new multi-year deal with CNN, while Brown currently leads CNN’s 11 a.m. programming during the week.
It is unclear whether the new Blitzer-Brown pairing in the morning will adopt Blitzer’s signature “Situation Room” branding or debut under a different name.
Nonetheless, the reported change means Blitzer’s screen time will increase by an hour each day.
The rearranging of the anchor chairs is part of Thompson’s plan to pave the way for a new generation of on-air talent, according to Darcy.
The decision to shift Blitzer, who was recently mocked on social media for his outdated television setup, to mornings allows CNN to keep one of its most respected anchors on air while also gradually transitioning him out of the evening lineup.
But the change means CNN will have to tweak the rest of its lineup by cutting an hour of programming.
One scenario being considered under discussion is moving Hunt, the former MSNBC anchor and Associated Press scribe, from early mornings to 4 p.m. — a move that would elevate her profile significantly.
Hunt, who currently pulls down a salary north of $1 million per year, 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, though it may create internal competition with other anchors eyeing a similar position.
If Hunt takes over at 4 p.m., CNN would shift Jake Tapper’s show “The Lead” to a 5 p.m.-to-7 p.m. block, placing him closer to prime time, according to Status.
CNN would then need to confront the question of who replaces Hunt in the mornings.
According to Status, one possibility being floated is a split-hour arrangement, with business correspondent Rahel Solomon anchoring 5 a.m. and former NPR host Audie Cornish handling 6 a.m.
To accommodate Blitzer and Brown’s two-hour morning program, CNN needs to find an additional hour in its schedule.
One potential casualty is Acosta’s show.
Another option could be reducing CNN News Central from three hours to two hours, but the low cost of producing the show makes it more likely that Acosta’s program would be the casualty, Status reported.
It is unclear what role Acosta would have if the show were canceled.
The network is also considering other changes to its programing, including expanding Erin Burnett’s nightly show, according to Status.
CNN’s ratings have declined significantly following Trump’s recent election victory.
In 2024, the network averaged 92,000 viewers in the key 25-to-54-year-old demographic, marking a 1% drop from the previous year’s low, and 77,000 during primetime, a 52% decline from the prior year.
Overall, primetime viewership fell by 45% to 405,000 viewers.
In contrast, Fox News captured 72% of primetime cable news viewership, with a 7% increase since the election.
CNN also lags behind second-place MSNBC, the Comcast-owned left-leaning network that is also in the midst of major changes to its corporate structure and management team.
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