CNN has tapped Kaitlan Collins to host a new weeknight show at 9 p.m., elevating her to one of the most coveted time slots in cable news a week after her moderated a controversial town hall with former President Donald J. Trump.
The new role for Ms. Collins was announced by CNN’s chairman, Chris Licht, on Wednesday, before a presentation to advertisers in Midtown Manhattan hosted by Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN.
His show, which is still untitled, is set to start in June. “He is an intelligent and savvy journalist who we all find accountable to lawmakers and reporters,” Mr. Licht wrote in a newsroom memo. “Kaitlan will expose uncovered angles and challenge conventional wisdom to ensure viewers see a story from every side.”
The promotion of Ms. Collins, 31, a co-host of the network’s morning show, is worth a big bet on CNN’s leadership as a rising star who impresses colleagues with his interviewing and reporting chops. , but remains untested as a solo anchor .
This is also the latest attempt by Mr. Licht to revive his network’s sagging ratings.
CNN’s 9 p.m. — once the highest-rated time slot — has been effectively vacated since Chris Cuomo was fired in December 2021. Mr. Licht to fill the time with various interviews and special news that failed to viewers. On weeknights, CNN is behind Fox News and MSNBC, and on Friday, two days after the Trump town hall, it even lost to Newsmax, a new conservative network available to fewer viewers. house
Ms. Collins, who joined CNN in 2017 as a reporter covering the Trump White House, brings a youthful shake to a programming block that for years has been hosted by middle-aged people. male anchor.
An Alabama native who cut her teeth at the conservative news site The Daily Caller, Ms. Collins was appreciated by Mr. Licht for his perceived ability to connect with audiences outside of coastal liberal enclaves. He became the network’s chief White House correspondent in 2021 at age 28, the youngest person to hold the role, and covered President Biden before moving to New York last year as a co-host of “CNN This Morning.”
He is also well-respected in the political media and is slated to serve as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association beginning in 2024. (He had to relinquish the role after moving from Washington.)
In April, Ms. Collins did a one-week stint as temporary host of CNN’s 9 pm hour. He got favorable ratings, with executives noting that he was able to retain most of Anderson Cooper’s audience from 8 p.m.
Last week, he was in the national spotlight as the moderator of a New Hampshire town hall with Mr. Trump. Ms. Collins remains confronted with the lies of Mr. Trump, repeatedly interrupted to correct baseless claims. Mr. Trump often talks about her and was applauded by some in the audience when he mocked Ms. Collins as a “bad guy.”
“The election was not rigged, Mr. President,” said Ms. Collins in a representative exchange. “You can’t keep saying that all night.” (Mr. Trump keeps saying this.)
The exact format of the 9 pm show of Ms. Collins has yet to be determined, but one idea discussed by CNN executives is to focus on one or two major news topics of the day, according to a person who asked not to be identified to describe internal discussions. . Mr. Licht said he wished CNN had more reporting and interviews, rather than talking punditry.
The rise of Ms. Collins comes after he navigated a tense situation on “CNN This Morning.” Her co-host, Don Lemon, upset the crew last year when he confronted Ms. Collins backstage and accused him of constantly interrupting him. The tensions led in part to Ms. Collins who left his talent agent, who also worked with Mr. Lemon, and is looking for new representation. Mr. Lemon was later fired from CNN after heavy criticism for sexist comments he made on-air.
Poppy Harlow, the remaining co-host of “CNN This Morning,” will remain on the show, Mr. Licht wrote on Wednesday. Mrs. Harlow will appear with a series of guest hosts until a permanent lineup is named.
