Veteran anchor Jim Acosta, who has been with CNN for 18 years, is reportedly leaving the network, according to Oliver Darcy of Status News.
Darcy reported on Monday that Acosta had private conversations over the weekend expressing his intention to leave the network. This news follows CNN CEO Mark Thompson’s decision to remove Acosta from the CNN’s morning schedule lineup.
Earlier this month, Thompson made a decision to remove Acosta from the 10 a.m. slot, which consistently garnered the highest ratings for the network. In exchange, Thompson offered the veteran anchor the graveyard shift, hosting a show from midnight to 2 a.m. Eastern Time.
Acosta viewed the offer as a demotion because he would be on air during the lowest cable news viewership period. However, Darcy says Thompson reframed the offer as a promotion. He informed Acosta that he would be anchoring during prime time on the West Coast and could relocate to Los Angeles to host the show.
President Donald Trump, who had a tumultuous relationship with Acosta during his first time in the White House, is likely to be pleased by the news. The situation escalated to the point where Trump revoked Acosta’s White House press pass, which was later reinstated.
Last week, CNN unveiled its new lineup changes, which will begin in March. Jake Tapper will relocate to the 5-7 p.m. slot, Kasie Hunt will host The Arena at 4 p.m., Audie Cornish will join CNN This Morning at 6 a.m., Rahel Solomon will host 5 Things at 5 a.m., and Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown will occupy the 10 a.m. time slot with a revamped version of The Situation Room.
Thompson’s latest move is an attempt to improve CNN’s ratings, which have declined in the past year and are now shifting towards a digital format.
“The changes we’re announcing today are part of an ongoing response by this great news organization to profound and irreversible shifts in the way audiences in America and around the world consume news,” Thompson told the New York Times.
