Jake Tapper has been recruited to take over Chris Cuomo’s former 9pm primetime position on CNN. This is the latest in a series of dramatic adjustments implemented by the network in an effort to shed the impression of being too liberal.
Tapper, the outlet’s primary Washington anchor, will occupy the coveted timeslot through this year’s midterm elections, according to a statement released by the network on Thursday. His tenure will begin on October 10 and continue through November 11.
The position, which was formerly held by Cuomo until he was fired for assisting brother Andrew through his sexual misconduct crisis, is currently temporary but might become permanent if Tapper, 53, attracts viewers.
Since Cuomo’s dismissal last December, the hour’s ratings have fallen due to the network’s inability to fill the position long identified with the host, who will begin his new role as an anchor for the non-partisan network NewsNation in October.
Since 52-year-old Cuomo’s departure, the time slot has been filled by a series of rotating hosts, who have failed to generate the same level of viewership.
Despite new CEO Chris Licht’s repeated commitments to steer the network away from left-leaning commentary, CNN just announced a’reimagined’ morning show with prominent progressive anchor Don Lemon.
Jake Tapper, CNN’s top Washington anchor, will occupy the prestigious time slot through the 2018 midterm elections, the network confirmed in a statement on Thursday, October 10th.
The world has grown to rely on Jake’s no-nonsense approach to covering the news, especially during high-stakes election cycles, said the network’s chief executive in a statement announcing the latest shakeup.
The CEO continued, “This move will highlight his tough reporting, insightful analysis, and impactful interviews as our readers navigate the plethora of issues at stake in the midterm elections.”
Licht, who replaced also-fired boss Jeff Zucker in February, stated that in addition to the 9pm adjustment, anchor Alisyn Camerota and legal analyst Laura Coates will split the 10pm through 12am time period – a position that Lemon will vacate.
Licht said of Camerota and Coates, “By adding the knowledge, experience, and powerful voices of Alisyn and Laura, we will enhance and broaden that coverage, producing something complementary and appealing in primetime.”
Despite the new CEO’s repeated commitments to steer the network away from left-leaning commentary, CNN just announced a “reimagined” morning show with the prominently leftist anchor Don Lemon.
Licht has showed a willingness to move away from the opinionated reporting that became notably common during Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and administration.
According to sources, the veteran television executive – who oversaw Stephen Colbert’s Late Show for six years before it was reported he would replace Zucker – wants to return the station to its roots as a hard-hitting news source.
During Licht’s tenure, the number of contentious panels featuring vocal hosts like former Trump aide Alyssa Farah has decreased significantly.
However, the current shakeup involving Lemon, who has regularly lambasted conservatives such as Donald Trump and promoted progressive values on air, appears to contradict this approach.
CNN disclosed the change a week ago, confirming that Lemon will end his 10 p.m. to midnight program on October 7.
At that time, the network will debut its new morning program, which will be hosted by Lemon and Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, respectively.
This position, previously held by Chris Cuomo (pictured) until he was dismissed for assisting brother Andrew through a sex scandal, is currently temporary but might become permanent if Tapper attracts viewers.
The trio’s production will replace the current 6 to 9 a.m. ‘New Day’ program anchored by John Berman and Brianna Keilar.
Licht wrote in a statement announcing the shift, “There is no stronger combination of talent than Don, Poppy, and Kaitlan to deliver on our promise of a game-changing morning news program.”
Together, they have a remarkable and palpable synergy. They are exceptionally intelligent, dependable, and fascinating. Together with CNN’s resources and worldwide newsgathering capabilities, we will provide an intelligent, daring, and invigorating way to start the day.’
Lemon has been with CNN since 2006 and has anchored his primetime hour since 2014.
This was one of Licht’s most notable judgments during the ‘opinion-based’ revamp, which frequently involves hosts who criticize conservatives and the GOP.
Licht, who oversaw Stephen Colbert’s Late Show for six years, has shown a willingness to shift away from the biased reporting that became prevalent during Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and subsequent administration.
Don Lemon Tonight, his nighttime program, will terminate in preparation for his morning debut.
After being named Zucker’s replacement, Licht addressed a memo to his future staff indicating forthcoming changes.
Licht remarked at the time, “Our viewers want the truth from us, and I want to learn the truth from you.” Together, we’ll double down on what’s working and eliminate what isn’t immediately.
As CNN’s parent company, WarnerMedia, combines with the Discovery Channel, Licht’s sole duty as the network’s incoming president is to ensure that CNN “remains the global leader in news” – capitalizing the word “news.”
Zucker resigned in February under fire for violating business rules by not disclosing the nature of his consensual relationship with his friend and colleague of over 20 years, the second-in-command Allison Gollust.
The incoming CNN chief will attempt to tone down the frequently opinionated and emotive reporting of anchors such as Don Lemon, who presently hosts the network’s struggling primetime program.
WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar said in a statement that Gollust quit the network following a third-party inquiry into ‘problems linked with Chris Cuomo and former Governor Andrew Cuomo.’
Prior to the massive merger, Discovery’s top shareholder at the time, John Malone, a wealthy businessman who donated $250,000 to Trump’s inauguration in 2017, voiced worries about the network’s left-leaning slant.
The media mogul told CNBC, ‘I’d want to see CNN return to the type of journalism it was founded on, with actual journalists, which would be novel and invigorating.’
I feel that quality journalism might play a part in the portfolio that Discovery/TimeWarner will represent in the future.
In October, Kaitlan Collins (left) and Poppy Harlow (right) will join Don Lemon on the new morning show.
As it combines with Discovery Inc., CNN seeks to move on from the high-profile departures of host Chris Cuomo and network president Jeff Zucker (both in 2014, pictured above).
Porter Bibb, the biography of CNN founder Ted Turner, later disclosed that Turner and Malone vehemently rejected Zucker’s decision to turn CNN into an opinion network to compete with Fox and abandon the concept of hard journalism.
Bibb stated that Turner and former rival-turned-friend Malone were both dissatisfied with the current status of the network and the necessary course of action as the fallout from the merger continued.
‘John Malone is not only expressing his personal opinion regarding what CNN should do as an all-news network, but he is also speaking for Ted,’ Bibb stated.
Malone has been credited with Zucker’s dismissal after learning of the former president’s affair with vice president Gollust.
This is one of Chris Licht’s most significant decisions about the redesign of the news network.
Since Licht’s promise to restore CNN’s credibility with the public by ceasing the defamation of Republicans, CNN has been ridding itself of its status as a progressive news source.
The new movement has led to the termination of popular CNN hosts, including John Harwood and Brian Stelter, as well as their respective programs.
Licht has previously forewarned CNN employees of impending changes they would ‘not understand’ or ‘like.’
It is unknown when the new morning show will premiere in October or whether the anchors will adhere to Licht’s new regulations, but the new CEO does not appear hesitant to fire high-profile journalists.
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