9 months after being fired from CNN, Chris Cuomo has mapped out his return to cable news. He’ll launch a new primetime news show on the cable channel NewsNation this fall.
The gig was announced Monday on NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live” Monday Night.
It’s a serious step down from Cuomo’s formerly lofty heights at CNN, where he was the top-ranted anchor in 2019 and 2020, thanks in part to frequent guest appearances by his older brother, disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
In 2020, Cuomo averaged around 2 million viewers a night on his show, “Cuomo Primetime.” He’ll have a much steeper climb on NewsNation: According to individuals with knowledge of the network’s ratings, NewsNation averages approximately 50,000 viewers total during primetime, and a vastly smaller 8,000 in the key 25-54 demo. And throughout the day, the network averages approximately 94,000 viewers, and 16,000 in that demo.
Cuomo was fired by CNN in December, after several ethical lapses, mainly related to Andrew Cuomo’s sexual harassment scandal — though not, apparently, related to the ex-governor’s frequent appearances on the show prior to that scandal — came to light.
Specifically, Cuomo was found to have secretly advised his brother on how to handle the scandal, something he didn’t disclose to viewers or to his bosses at CNN. He has also attempted to use his journalistic contacts to uncover information about women who accused Andrew Cuomo of harassment.
Chris Cuomo was also himself accused of sexual harassment, an accusation he has denied.