Don Lemon Booted from Prime-Time CNN Slot

Diana Glebova
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CNN will push host Don Lemon out of his prime-time slot and cancel his show Don Lemon Tonight, the networks’ new CEO Chris Licht announced Thursday.

Instead of his solo performance every night, Lemon will be joining White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins and anchor Poppy Harlow in a new morning show as the network struggles to retain viewership.

CNN’s ratings continued to tank in August, with Anderson Cooper 360 being the only show to make the list of top 25 cable news shows, behind 24 shows on Fox News and MSNBC.

“There is no stronger combination of talent than Don, Poppy and Kaitlan to deliver on our promise of a game-changing morning news program,” said Licht. “They are each uniquely intelligent, reliable and compelling; together they have a rare and palpable chemistry. Combined with CNN’s resources and global newsgathering capabilities, we will offer a smart, bold and refreshing way to start the day.”

Licht’s statement did not mention who would be promoted to Lemon’s prime-time spot.

Lemon said he “was honestly floored” when Licht asked him to host the morning show and that he is “honored” by Licht’s belief in him.

“It’s going to be a thrill to take on this challenge with Poppy and Kaitlan. I’ll get to work with two of my dearest friends. Set your alarms folks, because we’re going to have a lot of fun,” Lemon said.

Lemon’s change up comes after the network canceled long-time host Brian Stelter’s show Reliable Sources in August and booted former prime-time host Chris Cuomo in December.

An anonymous CNN insider told the New York Post in September that “CNN is in a bad place. The ratings are down really dramatically year over year.”

“I’m not sure the company understands how hard it is [to dig out],” the insider added.

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