CNN is temporarily moving Jake Tapper to prime time ahead of the midterm elections, marking the latest shuffle at the cable giant as its new chief seeks to reorient its news operations.
Tapper will helm the 9 p.m. slot from Oct. 10 to Nov. 11, briefly filling a hole left in the 9 p.m. programming hour that had been left by the firing of Chris Cuomo last year. News of his transient elevation is accompanied by an announcement of a slew of other shake-ups that the network is planning.
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“The world has come to rely on Jake’s no-nonsense approach to covering the news, especially during high-stakes election cycles,” CEO Chris Licht said, per CNN.
Anchors John Berman and Brianna Keilar will each substitute for Tapper on The Lead from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET, and The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer will expand an hour, stretching from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., according to CNN.
In addition to Tapper jumping into prime time, Alisyn Camerota, who co-anchors CNN Newsroom, and senior legal analyst Laura Coates will anchor the 10 p.m. slot in the run-up to the midterm elections, the network announced.
“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,” Licht said. “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.”
Last week, CNN announced that host Don Lemon would transition to the morning, debuting a new show alongside Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins. Lemon has insisted that the shake-up was not a demotion, contrary to what some of his detractors have said.
Licht took the reins as CNN’s chief after Jeff Zucker resigned earlier this year amid revelations that he had an undisclosed relationship with a colleague at the network. His ascension came amid CNN’s former parent company, WarnerMedia, being recently involved in a merger with Discovery.
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Since rising to the top of CNN, Licht has reportedly sought to dial down overtones of partisanship at the network. His tenure has been marked by an exodus of sorts amid reports that some talents have been pushed out and some staffers have been discontent with the new direction.
Over recent weeks, former CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, former Reliable Sources anchor Brian Stelter, and others have left the network. CNN has apparently been hit by declining profit projections and a ratings dip.
