In January, CNN announced that Laura Coates would become host of the network’s 11 p.m. hour.
That seems unlikely now.
Coates has not solo-hosted 11 p.m. since February, and according to a report from Insider, her show will likely not go forward as planned.
A CNN senior legal analyst and Sirius XM host based out of Washington D.C., Coates was told that CNN could not staff a separate hour at this time, and that the network is focusing on Alisyn Camerota’s New York-based show, which starts at 10 p.m., for the time being.
CNN’s 10 p.m.-12 a.m. programming block, called CNN Tonight, is still temporary, with Camerota currently leading both hours.
A source familiar with the situation tells TVNewser that CNN is concentrating its efforts on setting permanent plans for the 9 and 10 p.m. hours, but added that Coates is still on rotation for other hosting opportunities.
The absence of Coates at 11 p.m. also reignites the discussion of the diversity of CNN’s programming, particularly in primetime.
Don Lemon, who used to anchor the 10 and 11 p.m. hours for CNN, was moved to mornings last fall, paving the way for Camerota and Coates to fill those two hours. With Coates now seemingly out of the running for 11 p.m., CNN’s 4 p.m. through primetime host lineup currently consists of no one of color.
Perhaps that will change. For example, CNN is trying to woo CBS Mornings co-anchor Gayle King and TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley to help fill a primetime void, but an official confirmation of those moves has yet to come from the network.
This also brings up the issue of what happens to executive producer Eric Hall, who was originally supposed to executive produce 11 p.m., but is presently working on the 9 p.m. hour, CNN Primetime.
Hall, in January, departed CNN This Morning and was put in charge of 11 p.m., set to be fronted by Coates. Prior to CNN This Morning, he had been tapped by former CNN chief Jeff Zucker to lead the retooled CNN New Day.
Hall relocated from Atlanta, where he had the executive producer of CNN Right Now with Brianna Keilar and CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin.