CNN Plagued By Layoffs, Infighting, Ratings Woes

CNN's Chris Licht

One year ago this week, the entire staff at CNN was shaken by the sudden ousting of their leader and mentor Jeff Zucker, known as a hands-on boss who had a major influence in the network's day-to-day programming.  Without Zucker, CNN appears to be lost at sea, undergoing an identity crisis while also struggling to maintain a programming lineup and salvage its waning viewership, reports Fox News Digital. 

Recapping The Past Year:

Despite the $100 million that was reportedly spent in development and the glitzy PR campaign ahead of its launch on March 29, 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery pulled the plug less than 30 days later following dismal results in subscriptions.

Days after Zucker's exit, it was revealed that David Zaslav, the CEO of then-newly formed Warner Bros. Discovery, had tapped Chris Licht to lead CNN. Licht had been outspoken with his mission to make CNN nonpartisan, a stark contrast to how Zucker ran the network, which became #Resistance anti-Republican television during the Trump era. 

In the early months of Licht's tenure at CNN, there was wild speculation as to who would be let go so that the liberal network could turn over a new leaf. 

Most notably was the ousting of media correspondent Brian Stelter and the cancelation of "Reliable Sources." While Stelter's ratings tanked over the years, he continued offering full-throated defenses for the legacy press and spent much of his time attacking former President Trump and conservative media. 

Also shown the door was CNN's longtime chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, who Zucker allowed back even after his Zoom masturbation scandal from 2020, and CNN White House correspondent John Harwood, who barely troubled to hide his left-leaning political preferences.

In December, CNN was hit with massive layoffs, with editor-at-large Chris Cillizza among the more prominent figures to be dropped. Also cut was the staff of HLN's live programming, which included "Morning Express" host Robin Meade.

Don Lemon, one of the few remaining household names at CNN despite his struggles in the ratings department, was moved from primetime’s "Don Lemon Tonight" to the new morning show dubbed "CNN This Morning," an ensemble morning program featuring Lemon, Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, officially replaced the long-struggling "New Day" on Nov. 1.

In November, "CNN This Morning" averaged an underwhelming 454,000 total viewers. The following month, it managed only 389,000 in December. "CNN This Morning" then dropped to 373,000 average viewers in January, shedding 18% of November’s audience. 

CNN's 9 p.m. ET time slot has remained without a fulltime host or show since Chris Cuomo's 2021 firing. "Cuomo Prime Time" was replaced with various specials, more Anderson Cooper, additional Don Lemon, and a short-lived experiment Jim Acosta. None of the options resonated with viewers, and CNN managed only 735,000 in 2022 for a staggering 45% year-to-year drop off during the critical hour. 

Last month, CNN announced a new daytime lineup that was quickly chalked up as "an ongoing rearranging of the desk chair" by former CNN reporter Dylan Byers. The network essentially shifted around time slots and which anchors would work together, without many any significant additions. Longtime CNN anchors John Berman, Kate Bolduan and Sara Sidner would anchor the first half of the day, with Brianna Keilar, Boris Sanchez and Jim Sciutto triple-teaming in the afternoon. "Inside Politics with John King" remained in its noon time slot breaking up the new arrangements.