New CNN bosses have axed the morning show that was the centerpiece of former head Chris Licht’s plan to revamp the struggling network, Page Six has learned.
Breakfast TV specialist Licht built the flagship “CNN This Morning” around veteran anchors Don Lemon and Poppy Harlow, as well as up-and-comer Kaitlan Collins.
But it quickly became a flashpoint of drama and intrigue with reports of on-set clashes between the hosts, and Lemon was publicly rebuked by Licht after he famously suggested presidential hopeful Nikki Haley was “past her prime.”
Page Six hears a memo went out Monday morning announcing that early morning anchor Kasie Hunt will be given an extra hour, now under the “CNN This Morning” umbrella, and that “CNN News Central” — which had followed it — will move forward in the schedule to fill the gap.
Harlow was the only member of the original team left standing. Lemon was dramatically fired in April last year, Collins has moved to her own prime time show and Licht was fired (also dramatically) in June after a dramatic year-long tenure at the top of the global news network.
Current “CNN This Morning” hosts Harlow and Phil Mattingly will come off the air.
Licht had successfully retooled MSNBC’s hit “Morning Joe” and “CBS This Morning” before moving on to the “Late Show With Stephen Colbert.” He had reported invested much of his time and energy in the relaunch of the CNN morning show — which had been a thorn in the side of the network for years — in his brief tenure.
Licht was replaced by former BBC boss Mark Thompson in August.
Reps for CNN said it’s “inaccurate” to say the show has been cancelled, and that “CNN This Morning” has simply been shortened dramatically and given a new anchor.
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