CNN kicked off the week by announcing a broad new programming lineup, which includes new assignments across dayparts for Abby Phillip, Laura Coates, Pamela Brown, Chris Wallace, Kasie Hunt, Phil Mattingly, Victor Blackwell, Christiane Amanpour, Manu Raju, Alisyn Camerota, along with the imminent launch of Gayle King and Charles Barkley‘s new show.
CNN Worldwide’s leadership team, Amy Entelis, David Leavy, Virginia Moseley and Eric Sherling said in a joint statement, “One of CNN’s key differentiators is our deep roster of experienced journalists, reporters and storytellers. Many joined CNN early in their careers and have grown with the network throughout the years. They are extraordinarily talented and share the same CNN sensibility: versatility, determination and an inquisitive and empathetic approach to reporting the news. By expanding the range and depth of our programming lineup across multiple dayparts, we are strengthening our reporting excellence throughout the schedule, elevating our ability to tell great stories across platforms, and doubling down on CNN’s position as the most trusted name in news.”
CNN says the new programming will begin rolling out in the weeks ahead, with additional details regarding launch dates to come.
The highlight of the changes is the elevation of Abby Phillip and Laura Coates to new full-time primetime hosting roles.
Phillip anchor a new primetime show out of New York, CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, which will air in the weekday 10 p.m. ET hour.
According to the network, CNN NewsNight will take “a smart and sharp approach to the day’s driving stories, drawing on her reporting background to present and contextualize the news across a wide range of subject matters.”
Phillip will leave Inside Politics Sunday, and her replacement is Manu Raju, CNN’s chief congressional correspondent. Raju will host Sundays at 12 p.m. ET and continue to report on congress from Capitol Hill during the week.
Laura Coates, who has either hosted or co-hosted 10 and 11 p.m. ET for months now, gets the 11 p.m. hour all to herself on a permanent basis. The CNN chief legal analyst will anchor Laura Coates Live out of Washington, “showcasing legal, social, political and cultural stories, leveraging her significant experience as a prosecutor and relentless pursuit of the facts to anchor lively conversations with newsmakers, thought leaders and personalities across the spectrum.”
As previously announced, King Charles, with Gayle King and Charles Barkley, will debut later this fall on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. as a limited series. “The show will feature freewheeling, authentic and dynamic conversations, centered around the people and events shaping our culture. ”
Heading to the mornings, fresh off maternity leave, Kasie Hunt returns to her early morning roots and will host Early Start, weekdays at 5 a.m. ET. Hunt previously hosted 5 a.m. at MSNBC.
As expected, Phil Mattingly will officially join Poppy Harlow as co-host of CNN This Morning, and Pamela Brown will now host the weekday 3 p.m. hour, The Bulletin with Pamela Brown.
Shifting to weekends, Victor Blackwell will host First of All With Victor Blackwell, Saturdays at 8 a.m. from Atlanta. His show promises to deliver “a fresh perspective on the week’s news, with a particular focus on stories affecting communities of color that impact us all.”
Chris Wallace will get his own Sunday show-style program, airing Saturdays live at 10 a.m. ET on CNN. The name has yet to be announced, but it promises to feature “a fast-paced, provocative panel of some of the country’s best reporters and influential commentators to make sense of breaking news, the latest developments in the 2024 presidential race, and set the agenda for what’s next.”
Christiane Amanpour will follow Wallace in the 11 a.m. ET hour. She will “bring her perspective and experience as CNN’s chief international anchor to both global and US stories, delivering the world to CNN viewers.”
Alisyn Camerota, on the other hand, will focus on reporting for CNN’s long-form unit, specifically on forthcoming episodes for Sunday newsmagazine program The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper.
Here’s the new CNN schedule breakdown:
Weekday, Live Daily Programming Schedule:
• *5-6am ET: Early Start
• *6-9am ET: CNN This Morning with Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly
• 9am-12pm ET: CNN News Central
• 12-1pm ET: Inside Politics with Dana Bash
• 1-3pm ET: CNN News Central
• *3-4pm ET: The Bulletin with Pamela Brown
• 4-6pm ET: The Lead with Jake Tapper
• 6-7pm ET: The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer
• 7-8pm ET: Erin Burnett Out Front
• 8-9pm ET: Anderson Cooper 360
• 9-10pm ET: The Source with Kaitlan Collins
• *10-11pm ET: CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip
• *11-12pm ET: Laura Coates LiveIn addition to the daily lineup, CNN’s weekend schedule is also getting a refresh, with new shows on Saturday mornings:
• 6-8am ET: CNN This Morning Weekends
• *8-9am ET: First of All with Victor Blackwell
• 9-10am ET: Smerconish
• *10-11am ET: The Chris Wallace Show
• *11am-12pm ET: Christiane Amanpour
• 12-4pm ET: CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield
• 4-8pm ET: CNN Newsroom with Jim AcostaAdditionally, on Sunday mornings, CNN fans will see a familiar lineup with the addition of a new anchor for Inside Politics Sunday:
• 6-9am ET: CNN This Morning Weekends
• 9-10am ET: State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash
• 10-11am ET: Fareed Zakaria GPS
• *11am-12pm ET: Inside Politics Sunday with Manu Raju
• 12-1pm ET: State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash (replay)
• 1-2pm ET: Fareed Zakaria GPS (replay)
• 2-4pm ET: CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield
• 5-8pm ET: CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta
• 8-9pm ET: The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper