(BPR) Financial concerns and ratings woes at CNN could cause the network to jettison some of its overpriced talent with several big names reportedly in danger of being jettisoned by new CEO Mark Thompson.
With immense damage having been done to the brand of the self-proclaimed “most trusted name in news” by its rabidly partisan coverage of former President Donald J. Trump and its left-wing activist talking heads, the once-esteemed cable network has been plagued by poor ratings and Thompson now has a chance to clean house.
Celebrity news outlet In Touch Weekly reports, “Big bucks talent will become history at CNN as the spiraling network’s new honcho slashes budgets and takes aim at anxious anchors with oversized salaries, insiders say.”
“New CEO Mark Thompson is preparing ruthless cuts to remake the network as ratings plunge — leaving Anderson Cooper, Chris Wallace, Wolf Blitzer and Jake Tapper facing dates with the axman, a source says,” according to the outlet.
“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!” In Touch reported, citing an unnamed network insider. “Chris Wallace takes $8 million and figures he’s a likely target, too!”
If Cooper ends up being dumped it would be ironic with him having been involved in the mutiny against former CNN boss Chris Licht who infuriated network staff by featuring Trump in a primetime town hall in New Hampshire last year.
The town hall, held before a Trump-friendly crowd, was a disaster for the network when the former president made mincemeat out of Kaitlan Collins and was able to get his message out to a national television audience and Cooper was not pleased.
“You have every right to never watch this network again.” CNN’s Anderson Cooper defends CNN’s decision to platform Trump in a Town Hall. (Video: CNN) pic.twitter.com/pnq5HdvWsW
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) May 12, 2023
