A longtime CNN anchor who spent more than 24 years at the network has announced her departure amid an enduring ratings slump.
Christine Romans, the longtime anchor of CNN’s “Early Start” and its chief business correspondent, called it quits on Friday, according to the New York Daily News.
“During Friday’s on-air sendoff, she announced that she will leave the cable news channel after nearly a quarter of a century, with that day being her last,” the outlet reported.
She told viewers, “I’ve decided it’s time for a new chapter,” adding that though she’s “moving on from CNN, [she] will still be watching.”
“It has been a pleasure waking up early for you for so many years to get your morning started,” she continued. “I love CNN dearly. I have loved my 24-year run here … I am full of gratitude for my CNN family. It is a family. Everybody here are my friends. And I am excited for the challenges ahead.”
The Hollywood Reporter noted that Romans just recently made the decision to leave and is not expected to join a competitor network, but that remains to be seen.
For the time being, the 5 a.m. EDT news show will remain in the programming lineup with “a rotating array of anchors until making a permanent decision about assigning talent to the show,” Variety reported.
“It’s impossible to sum up 24 wonderful and transformative years at CNN, but here it goes: five elections, a dot-com boom and bust, 9/11, a housing bubble and financial crisis, and a global pandemic,” Romans said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “Oh… and a wedding, three baby boys, three books, and 10 years of 3 a.m. wake-up calls!”
“I’ve climbed the mountain and it’s time for me to climb a new one,” Romans, who is the author of “Smart Is the New Rich Money Guide for Millennials,” went on. “But I’m forever grateful to have worked alongside some of the most talented journalists in the business.”
Her departure comes at a time when CNN continues to struggle to gain traction with viewers. While left-wing rival MSNBC gained viewers over the summer, CNN did not, shedding “21% of its 25-to-54 viewers in May,” The Street reported.
Earlier this month, a report noted that CNN hired two producers from Fox News, the network that CNN has criticized for years.
“Kaitlan Collins’ new primetime show The Source has hired a former producer from Maria Bartiromo’s program while Jake Tapper just tapped an EP from Fox News Sunday for his weekday program. The decision is being called hypocritical by insiders since Tapper often trash-talks the number one cable network on air, Fox News,” Radar Online noted.
“As we first reported, Collins’ new shows could use some help after launching to dismal numbers. According to Nielsen Media Research, Collins’ new primetime show The Source debuted at 9 PM and was beaten by Fox News’ Hannity by triple digit percentage. Collins’ show, which had former VP Mike Pence as a guest, was also beaten by repeats of Golden Girls, SpongeBob SquarePants, South Park, King of Queens, Seinfeld, and Friends,” the outlet added.
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After a difficult few months that saw major layoffs and the cancellation of Don Lemon, CEO Chris Licht was let go.
“I met with Chris and he will be leaving CNN,” David Zaslav, Warner Bros. CEO, announced last month. “For a number of reasons, things didn’t work out and that’s unfortunate. It’s really unfortunate. And ultimately that’s on me. And I take full responsibility for that.”
“This was an exciting but incredibly challenging assignment and I learned a lot over the past 13 months,” Licht said in a separate statement. “I’ve been lucky enough to have had a successful, fulfilling career and I look forward to my next chapter. I wish the team at CNN the very best, always.”