CNN CEO Chris Licht continued his programming makeover at CNN, filling the primetime slots vacated by opinion programming with shows focusing on the mid-term elections.
Jake Tapper will anchor CNN’s 9 p.m. hour, which had been occupied by Chris Cuomo before he was dismissed. Tapper is CNN’s chief Washington correspondent and anchor of The Lead and State of the Union.
CNN Newsroom anchor Alisyn Camerota and CNN senior legal analyst Laura Coates will share anchor responsibilities from 10 p.m. to midnight ET.
The announced changes are effective from October 10 through the week of the elections in November.
Earlier this month, Licht announced changes to coming to CNN’s morning show. He reportedly has a mandate to tone down what is perceived as commentary against former President Donald Trump at the news network from parent company Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and major shareholder John Malone.
“The world has come to rely on Jake’s no-nonsense approach to covering the news, especially during high-stakes election cycles,” Licht said. “This move will showcase his tough reporting, smart analysis and consequential interviews as our audiences navigate the myriad of issues at stake in the midterms. By adding the insights, experience and strong voices of Alisyn and Laura, we will advance and expand on that coverage, creating something complimentary and compelling in primetime.”
In other changes, John Berman and Brianna Keilar will fill in for Tapper on The Lead from 4 p.m.-5 p.m. ET. The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer will pick up an hour, expanding its footprint to 5 p.m.-7 p.m. ET nightly. Erin Burnett OutFront and Anderson Cooper 360 will remain in their respective timeslots of 7-8 p.m. ET and 8-9 p.m. ET. ■
