Comedy News Network...Sound Funny?

CNN is reportedly considering hiring a comedian to host one of its struggling prime time hours - the latest in a series of sweeping changes to the network under new CEO Chris Licht.

According to The Daily Mail US citing people familiar with the matter, the not-yet-named funnyman or woman would be tasked with filling the hallowed 9pm time slot, previously held by Chris Cuomo.

Brass at the famously progressive news network have reportedly floated names such as Bill Maher, Trevor Noah, Arsenio Hall, and Jon Stewart, as candidates, to offer a nontraditional, late-night-esque take on the day's news.

The rumored maneuver comes as the late-night sphere has been through a great deal of changes recently - and as CNN execs, led by Licht, have largely failed to fill the space left by Cuomo, who lost the gig more than a year ago after trying to help his brother Andrew Cuomo fight off a sexual harassment scandal. 

The maneuver comes as somewhat disjointed from Licht's previously aired plans for the network since taking the helm early last year, which included it moving away from opinionated reporting that became especially prevalent during Trump's administration.

Speaking to The Times, Licht - who laid off hundreds of staffers last month including politics reporter Chris Cillizza - said he would love to bring on the former late night host, if possible.

According to Semafor, Executives have also discussed turning the 9 p.m.-12 a.m. hours into a series of shows modeled like a variety program, with “shows within shows”  for different journalists, one network executive told Semafor.

The discussions are aimed at turning away from the competition with MSNBC for liberal news junkies, and toward pulling viewers from HGTV, ESPN, and Netflix. Licht has also attempted to pitch CNN as a potential gateway to other brands within Warner Discovery, reminding talent that the company is attached to HBO and Warner Brothers, where there could be further opportunities for projects.

But CNN is also reckoning with its need to have talent on hand to cover major breaking news events, such as last week’s House Speaker’s race which ran late into the evening and boosted CNN’s ratings. One person familiar with plans told Semafor that Laura Coates is likely to remain in her current timeslot, while co-host Alisyn Camerota, a long-time cable news anchor, will likely be moved to another earlier hour.