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CNN has reportedly moved veteran anchor Wolf Blitzer to a new slot in the mornings amid a massive network shakeup, sources with knowledge of the situation told former CNN media analyst Oliver Darcy for his Status newsletter published on Thursday (January 16).
Blitzer, 76, one of the network's longest-tenured anchors, will reportedly be paired with Pamela Brown on a new morning show as part of moves made by CEO Mark Thompson following a ratings decline. Additionally, former chief White House correspondent turned anchor Jim Acosta is reportedly being bounced from his CNN Newsroom show, according to the sources.
Thompson is also believed to potentially shift Kasie Hunt, the early morning anchor of CNN This Morning, to afternoons, according to Darcy. Blitzer recently signed a new three-year contract freezing his pay at an estimated $3 million annually in October.
It hasn't been determined whether the pairing of Blitzer and Brown will be under his signature Situation Room or a different branding, but will likely increase his screen time by an additional hour daily, despite transitioning him out of the primetime lineup. The network shakeup is speculated to be part of Thompson's initiative to focus on a new generation of on-air talent.
CNN's ratings have reportedly seen a significant decline since President-elect Donald Trump's 2024 election victory, averaging 92,000 viewers in the key 25-to-54-year-old demographic, a 1% decrease from the previous low in 2023, with an average of 77,000 in primetime, 52% less than the previous year, and 405,000 overall viewership, which decreased by 45% from 2023.