More changes at CNN as top programming executive to leave at year’s end; new “fake news” host to join lineup
CNN has been undergoing changes of late.
The network has been losing some of its prominent personalities, including former morning anchor Candy Crowley. CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta resigned last month after a decade leading the network. The network has also named a new co-host of its “Crossfire” show, Chris Cuomo, to take over former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s morning slot.
Meanwhile, CNN’s ratings have been on a steady decline during the Trump era. CNN’s primetime ratings are down a whopping 5 percent from 2016, a drop that is greater than that of any other network, according to a network analysis provided to TheWrap. And CNN’s overall total viewing audience, which includes people who tune in using various other means of watching TV, has fallen 2 percent from 2016.
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Last week, the network made its first major hire in a while. Former Fox News host and political commentator Bill O’Reilly will host a new show called “The O’Reilly Factor,” per a description for the show posted on the network’s website.
In other news, Fox News has added a new “hard news” host to its lineup, named to the role of “Political Editor” with duties that will include helping select interviews with various political figures and discussing Fox News personalities.
The network has also tapped a host named as a new “Fox News & Commentary” on-air personality, according to a network press release. In a memo about the network’s “New Faces” news program, host Dana Perino wrote: “The goal is to identify the ‘new faces’ of the political world and to introduce them to a new generation of viewers.”
What’s more, the network has named several hosts to its primetime lineup. Those include host Brian Kilmeade, who will host “Kilmeade & Friends,” and “Fox & Friends