New CNN boss Chris Licht’s latest — and biggest — shakeup of the news network’s lineup signals an attempt to hit two (or three) birds with one stone.
By shifting Don Lemon from his 10 p.m. ET perch after a seven-year run, Licht is eliminating the lowest-rated show in primetime cable news, according to August ratings from Nielsen Media Research — while also quieting critics who have targeted Lemon’s opinionated hosting style. And by tapping Lemon to lead the network’s as-yet-untitled new morning show alongside Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, Licht also aims to give new life to another key part of the schedule that has long lagged behind MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and Fox News’ “Fox and Friends” in viewership.