CNN may move Jim Acosta to Midnight ET, raising concerns about timing with Donald Trump taking office
CNN told anchor Jim Acosta they wanted to move it from its morning ET slot to midnight ET, a less popular time slot where cable news networks traditionally run reruns of programs earlier in the day.
Acosta docked at 10 am. ET show for about a year, having moved from its weekend slot. Acosta was told earlier this week that the network wanted to make the move as part of an anchor operation, according to a source. The State Newsletter first reported on the potential move.
During Donald Trump’s first administration, Acosta was one of the most popular journalists as CNN’s chief White House correspondent. The president, angered by Acosta and the network’s coverage, often got into heated exchanges with him or berated him at news conferences and other events. At one point, the White House sought to overturn Acosta’s tough statement, and the network challenged the move in court. A federal judge sided with CNN and ordered the administration to reinstate the permit.
Acosta continued to provide critical coverage of Trump in the morning hour. He concluded his show Thursday with a defense of a free press that rehashed one of Trump’s frequent attacks on the media. “We are not enemies of the people. “We are the defenders of the people,” Acosta said. Talk of Acosta’s transfer proposal has sparked some reactions on social media, especially on BlueSky, the platform to which many disgruntled Twitter users have migrated since Elon Musk bought it.
When CNN CEO Mark Thompson made a suggestion to Acosta to move his show, the anchor told him the timing seemed suspicious. His ratings held up in the time period, and according to Status, he was told that the move was not for audience reasons or the content of his show. CNN is reportedly considering other changes to its lineup, including moving Wolf Blitzer to Mornings with Pamela Brown.
CNN declined to comment. A two-hour show starting at midnight will reach prime-time audiences on the West Coast, and the show will likely be based in Los Angeles. Thanks to the network’s global footprint, the show will air in the mornings in Europe and afternoons in Hong Kong.