CNN Considers Moving Kaitlan Collins To Cover TWH

CNN top brass is considering naming primetime anchor Kaitlan Collins to the role of chief White House correspondent as the left-leaning network grapples with how to cover the incoming Trump administration, according to The NY Post.

Collins, who hosts “The Source with Kaitlan Collins” weekdays at 9 pm, would relocate with her New York-based show to Washington, D.C., at least part of the time, Semafor reported Sunday.

The move, which has not yet been finalized, is currently being discussed by CNN CEO Mark Thompson and his lieutenants in the hope that it would allow Collins to fully tap into her network of sourcing within Trump’s White House.

However, another veteran TV source who has worked at rival networks speculated that said CNN — which is cutting its own budget — will move Collins into the White House role and drop her as a primetime anchor.

“Her viewership numbers are bad,” the source said, noting that Collins is paid a a reported $3 million a year. “They probably want to move her back to D.C. and get her out of the anchor chair.”

Collins’ show, which launched on July 10, 2023, averaged 629,00 total viewers its first year. But since the election earlier this month, the program’s ratings have hovered between 565,000 to 430,000 range, according to Nielsen data.

CNN has been looking for ways to keep costs down while Thompson looks to amp up the network’s digital presence and increase its ratings. In recent months, Chris Wallace, who was making a reported $7 million a year, was informed that his poorly-rated shows would be canceled.