REPORT: Anderson Cooper, Other Network Fixtures Could Soon Be OUT As New CEO Eyes Budget Cuts

A number of longtime CNN employees and hosts could soon be losing their jobs as the network eyes yet another major shakeup as ratings continue to slump.

According to a report from In Touch, the network’s new CEO, Mark Thompson, is reportedly planning on massive cuts in an effort to reign in CNN’s budget and boost ratings. A number of the network’s highest paid on-air talents could soon be out due to the budget cuts, In Touch reported.

“Anderson knows he’s on the chopping block because he makes a whopping $20 million a year. He’s already started looking for a new gig! Chris Wallace takes $8 million and figures he’s a likely target, too!” one source told the outlet.

Other names mentioned were Wolf Blitzer, who makes $15 million a year, while Jake Tapper currently makes $8 million. Both personalities are under contract through the 2024 election, though changes are on the table after that.

“Everybody knows the focus is on cutting costs,” In Touch reported through their source.

CNN’s ratings had declined to its lowest point since 2014 by the end of 2023. The network is notably struggling with the crucial 25-54 age group, a demographic that is increasingly going elsewhere for news. CNN is trying to keep up with the news landscape and become a digital-first provider,” another source told In Touch.

Tapper has contradicted the reports through his spokesperson, though CNN has made a number of major shakeups since network president Jeff Zucker announced his resignation in 2022. The network also went through a number of changes following the short reign of former president Chris Licht, who attempted to pull CNN in a more centrist direction after the far-left tenure of Zucker.

The network previously cancelled its longest running program, Reliable Sources, and also bid farewell to its host Brian Stelter in August 2022. White House correspondent John Harwood went on to abruptly leave the network in September of that year as Licht sought to make changes.

In what was perhaps the most notable departure, Don Lemon was fired this past April after a rocky string of months that saw him demoted from his primetime hosting gig. The end came when Lemon — then demoted to the network’s morning show — said that Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was no longer “in her prime.”