CNN Facing Overhaul

Veteran media reporter Dylan Byers sounded the alarm Monday in Puck that Anderson Cooper, CNN’s marquee anchor for over 20 years, may face the axe as incoming overseer Gunnar Wiedenfels plans to streamline the network into a leaner, less ambitious operation.

Byers, who has tracked CNN from its Jeff Zucker peak to its current Mark Thompson struggles, notes that Cooper’s $18 million annual salary makes him a prime target for cost-cutting.

The restructured CNN will likely shed high salaries, international bureaus, and lavish event coverage.

However, Byers suggests anchor Erin Burnett, earning $3 million annually, is safer due to her lower cost and prominence. 

“CNN will hold on to a few bold-faced names through their contracts,” Byers said, predicting Burnett’s job security during the transition.

The report has rattled CNN’s staff, already anxious about layoffs, pay cuts, and a potential sale, from New York to Atlanta. Byers signals the end of eight-figure salaries and globe-spanning correspondents.

 Cooper’s recent signing with CAA has sparked speculation that, frustrated by declining ratings and internal chaos, he may exit before Wiedenfels forces him out.