CNN boss to announce major shake-up to flailing networks’ daily lineup
According to a new report, CNN will move its longtime anchor Wolf Blitzer to the mornings.
Blitzer, 76, one of the network’s top anchors, is currently enjoying a sweet spot on the cusp of primetime. He staffs the Situation Room weekdays from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM ET.
He’s done that for the past twenty years, and the new shuffle could earn him an extra hour of fame. However, some suggested the move could be an ‘off-ramp’ for the broadcaster as it enters its golden years.
The news was first reported by the Status Newsletterwhich was started by former CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy upon his departure from the station last August.
Multiple people “familiar with the matter” told him the plan is part of a larger scheme devised by new CEO Mark Thompson – the longtime New York Times boss who was brought in to run the network under his Warner Bros. Discovery parent company to be reviewed.
Several people said Thompson’s plan is designed to allow for a new set of faces every night while retaining one of its best-known stars.
Sources also indicated that one victim of the commotion could be Blitzer’s friend Jim Acosta, who currently hosts CNN Newsroom at 10 a.m.
That hour is now reportedly earmarked for Blitzer and chief investigative correspondent Pamela Brown, 41, for the yet-to-be-named show.
CNN is reportedly moving its longtime anchor Wolf Blitzer to the mornings, as part of a larger shuffle that will “likely” impact his longtime friend Jim Acosta (seen with Blitzer on the set of Situation Room with political correspondent Sara Murray), who currently hosts CNN. Newsroom

Multiple people “familiar with the matter” told Status that the plan is part of a larger scheme devised by new CEO Mark Thompson (seen here in May) – the longtime New York Times boss who was brought in to network under his Warner Bros. Discovery parent company to review.
“It is unclear whether the new morning program will be renamed ‘The Situation Room,'” seven-year CNN vet Darcy wrote in his report, released Thursday.
He also pointed out that CNN’s morning programs currently rival its evening programs – meaning about the same number of people will tune in to see Blitzer.
Moreover, they would become a familiar face when Blitzer first appeared on CNN in 1990.
He has since emerged as one of the struggling station’s most iconic anchors, although he was recently denied a raise, according to The Ankler.
Still, he signed a new multi-year deal amid mixed ratings — re-signed to a new three-year deal, a deal that sources told will see his salary frozen at about $3 million per year — the same amount he was previously making. .
Shortly afterwards, another online newsletter, started in part by a CNN contributor, Puck, disputed The Ankler’s report, saying it “included almost all salary figures.” [of Blitzer and fellow stalwart Jake Tapper] wrong – in some cases blatantly’.
Information obtained through the newsletter revealed that Tapper and Blitzer “make millions, over $7 million and $3 million respectively.”
The broader point about personalities being forced to renew at equal or lower rates was true, sources said.

That hour is now reportedly earmarked for Blitzer and chief investigative correspondent Pamela Brown (seen here with Jake Tapper) for a yet-to-be-named show. Both Tapper and Blitzer were reportedly recently denied raises

“It is unclear whether the new morning program will be renamed ‘The Situation Room,'” seven-year CNN veteran Oliver Darcy wrote in his report released Thursday

As a result, Acosta’s program aired from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM, losing his 10:00 AM timeslot and a subsequent hour manned by co-host Brown.
Both newsletters stated that Tapper also re-signed to a three-year contract, as he too could be part of the impending shuffle.
According to Status, Tapper, 55, could see his eponymous weekday show moved an hour closer to primetime, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
That’s because by moving Blitzer to mornings, Thompson would essentially open a new one-hour block of programming.
To make room for Blitzer and Brown’s two-hour morning show, he would have to find an extra hour, the insiders noted.
One option reportedly being floated is cutting an hour from “CNN News Central,” which airs live weekdays from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
As a result, Acosta’s program would air from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM, losing his 10:00 AM timeslot and a subsequent hour staffed by co-host Brown.
This would leave the afternoon open for Blitzer and Brown – with Acosta’s show being “a much more likely target” than News Central, according to Darcy.
This comes after Acosta was already moved from weekends to weekdays this year, while repeatedly criticizing President-elect Donald Trump.

This would leave the afternoon open for Blitzer and Brown (pictured) – with Acosta’s show ‘a much more likely target’ than News Central, insiders said

The recent shift seen at Jackson (pictured), insiders said, “signals a gradual transition,” as “CNN certainly acknowledges” [Blitzer’s age]. ‘[The network] It appears that this creates some kind of off-ramp,” the report concludes

Erin Burnett, currently the host of Erin Burnett OutFront from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., could also see her show last two hours, sources said
Insiders said other program combinations Thompson could implement to free up the extra hour include moving Kasie Hunt, who currently appears early in the morning, to 4 p.m. after she was removed by disgraced CEO Jeff in 2022 Zucker was brought in to host a show on CNN+, which has since been resolved.
Reportedly loved by ‘key executives’ – and reportedly earning more than $1 million a year – she could be brought in to take on a more prominent role to earn her salary.
However, gifting her with a 4 p.m. show “could irritate some of the network’s other hosts who may have their own show in mind,” insiders told Darcy — who also reported that it’s possible that CNN will change the afternoon lineup in a way that doesn’t. involve Hunt or Tapper.
Erin Burnett, currently the host of Erin Burnett OutFront from 7pm to 8pm, could see her show last two hours, sources said.
Either way, the changes are likely to impact the channel’s ratings, which have been in trouble since Donald Trump’s election victory.
Additionally, CNN is also reportedly on the verge of some layoffs – having already been hit by a series of high-profile exits.
The recent shift we see in Jackson, according to Darcy, “indicates a gradual transition,” as “CNN certainly recognizes this [Blitzer’s age].
‘[The network] It appears that this creates some kind of off-ramp,” the report concludes.
DailyMail.com contacted CNN for comment. In a statement, a representative labeled the Status Report as “speculation.”