CNN has finally set the details of its new daytime line-up.
That begins in April, with more Jake Tapper (shown here), less Wolf Blitzer and no Brooke Baldwin, plus a later Alyson Camerota and an earlier Brianna Keller. There will also a weekday hour for Ana Cabrera, key weekend slots for Jim Acosta and more.
Some of those moves had already been announced. In January, CNN said Tapper’s slot would be expanding to two hours, trimming Blitzer to one hour. Tapper will also take over Blitzer’s spot as principal anchor for major events.
(In April, Tapper will be 52 and Blitzer will be 73. CNN said Blitzer will also do some documentaries.)
Also, Baldwin surprised viewers on Tuesday by saying she’ll leave in April, with no specific plans.
The changes come despite CNN being on a hot streak. Variety, the show-business trade paper, recently pointed out that its primetime ratings had soared 84 percent last year. It still trailed Fox News and MSNBC, but was well ahead of other cable channels.
But news departments often shift assignments after an election and TV people push for changes. Acosta had been covering the White House for seven years; Camerota had been doing morning for six years, CNN said, the longest weekday-morning stay in recent history.
Here are the changes and the new line-up; all times are ET:
– 6-9 a.m.: Jon Berman will stay, but Kellar (who had been doing 1-3 p.m.) joins him, with Camerota moving to afternoons.
– 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Unchanged. Poppy Harlow and JimSciutto are from 9-11 a.m., with Kate Bolduan at 11 and John King at noon.
– 1 p.m.: Cabrera gets a weekday hour. She had been doing weekends.
– 2-4 p.m.: Camerota is here with Victor Blackwell, who had been doing weekend mornings.
– 4-6 p.m.: Tapper expands to two hours.
– 6-7 p.m.: Blitzer shrinks to one hour.
– Afterward: This is apparently unchanged, with Erin Burnett at 7 p.m., Chis Cuomo at 8, Anderson Cooper at 9 and Don Lemon at 10.
On weekends, Boris Sanchez takes the morning slot alongside Christi Paul. Fredricka Whitfield continues to do mid-days, with Acosta from 3-6 p.m. Pamela Brown had already taken over the 6-9 p.m. spot, often followed by documentaries.