Jim Acosta fans may soon have to wait until midnight to see their favorite CNN anchor — or perhaps not see him at all.
Acosta, a staple of the Warner Bros.-owned network, is studying. Discovery since 2007, a proposal from CNN Chairman and CEO Mark Thompson to give up his daytime shift and move to Los Angeles to lead a two-hour nightly newscast starting at 10:00 p.m. Midnight Eastern time.
A representative for CNN and Acosta declined to comment.
But two people familiar with the discussions confirmed the talks, which were first reported last week in the Status newsletter, written by former CNN media correspondent Oliver Darcy.
Acosta has not yet decided whether to accept the assignment, said the people familiar with the matter, who were not authorized to comment publicly. CNN told him that moving to Los Angeles was not a requirement and that the new show could come out of Washington, where he lives with his family.
If CNN goes ahead with the move, some will see it as a way to capitulate to President Trump by diminishing the profile of the journalist known for his aggressive coverage of the first Trump administration. If Acosta decides not to accept the assignment, he could go off the grid, according to people familiar with his thinking.
A number of media, entertainment and technology organizations, including The Washington Post, Los Angeles TimesMeta, the parent company of Amazon and Facebook, has been accused of looking for ways to avoid getting on the bad side of Trump, who has shown a willingness to retaliate against his critics.
There have been ongoing efforts by CNN to appeal to conservative and Republican voters since the network became part of Warner Bros. Television. Discovery run by David Zaslav in 2022.
Acosta became a major opponent of Trump during his time as White House correspondent. The White House suspended his press credentials in November 2018 after a heated exchange with Trump at a news conference. At one point, Acosta refused to give up the microphone to an aide who tried to take it back from him.
During the suspension, Acosta received broad support from the rest of the members Press, including Fox Newswhich is often harsh in its CNN ratings and defense of Trump. A federal court judge ordered his credentials reinstated.
Acosta remains a A stubborn skeptic and fact-checker to Trump during the CNN Newsroom hour. He has not given up since the management presented him with the suggestion about his future role.
Wednesday, Acosta persistently pressed Representative Tim Burchett, Republican of Tennessee, to Because of Trump’s decision to pardon or commute the prison sentences of the January 6 rioters, including those who committed acts of violence against police officers.
One reason CNN wants Acosta to make the move is to accommodate anchor Wolf Blitzer, who is expected to leave his late afternoon show, “The Situation Room,” and take over Acosta’s current 10 a.m. ET shift.
Thompson is pushing the plan as a way to give viewers on the West Coast a live prime-time newscast. Acosta’s show will also be broadcast on CNN International, where he will air in the morning in Europe.
CNN, Fox News and MSNBC currently air after 11 p.m. ET.
But there’s a reason networks don’t invest in live programming near and after midnight. About 80% of the US public lives in the Eastern and Central time zones. Once the clock strikes 12, most TV viewers are asleep, especially older viewers who make up the bulk of the news audience.
While social media can spread videos of interviews regardless of when they air, live news programs have a greater impact during the day when they become part of the national conversation. CNN’s midnight show will also face the challenge of booking live guests.
