CNN Promotes Kaitlan Collins to Prime Time Slot Following Trump Town Hall
CNN has announced that Kaitlan Collins will take on the role of hosting a new hour-long show in the center of their prime-time lineup, filling the gap left after the departure of Chris Cuomo and amid the network’s declining ratings.
Starting next month, Collins will regularly host the 9 p.m. ET show, as confirmed by the network during a Warner Discovery sales presentation to advertisers on Wednesday.
Collins, who previously served as a White House correspondent, recently moderated CNN’s town hall with former President Donald Trump.
In a memo to CNN staff members, Chairman Chris Licht praised Collins as a talented journalist who holds lawmakers and newsmakers accountable.
This decision marks a significant move by Licht, who assumed leadership of CNN last year, to make his mark on the network’s prime-time lineup, which has struggled to compete with Fox News and MSNBC in terms of viewership.
Collins had been named co-host of a revamped morning show alongside Poppy Harlow and Don Lemon, which premiered in November. With Lemon’s departure and Collins’ promotion, Harlow will work with guest anchors until further changes are announced for the morning programming.
Since December 2021, CNN has relied on guest hosts in the evenings following the firing of Chris Cuomo. Cuomo’s departure came after the network determined that he had not been forthcoming about the assistance he provided to his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. At the time, Cuomo hosted CNN’s highest-rated show.
