CNN says there’s ‘no truth’ in report that it’s considering hiring Chris Cuomo back

After a New York Post story claimed CNN is considering a “comeback” from former anchor Chris Cuomo, the network says that’s not true.

“There is no truth to that report,” a network spokesperson told NewscastStudio April 22, 2024.

The Post’s Page Six cites an unnamed source at CNN saying “CNN insiders say there could be a deal to be made with Chris down the road — this is already being whispered about, and discussed quietly, but still unofficially. Management has changed, and CNN could be ready to move beyond the old issues, especially since they have not been able to replicate Chris’ success with their audience.”

“Although Chris isn’t talking about this openly … it’s generally accepted by his circle that he misses his old job, loves being on TV and making a difference on national topics of interest to everyone. He wants to be in Israel reporting on the war.”

Cuomo was fired by CNN in 2021 after an investigation found he crossed journalistic ethical boundaries after helping his brother, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, with crisis management and assisting with defense amid a controversy over alleged sexual misconduct by the governor. Andrew Cuomo denied all accusations.

Chris Cuomo’s “Cuomo Prime Time” was a bright spot on CNN’s schedule and was often its best-performing show. 

The 9 p.m. eastern show competed against heavyweights “Hannity” and “The Rachel Maddow Show” and never managed to make it to the top of the charts, but it was one hour where CNN was more competitive.

Since Cuomo left, the network first tried filling the hour with “events” that varied based on the news cycle. These could take the format of town halls, panels or taped interviews that filled the entire hour.

Advertisement

That strategy never gained traction so the network opted to launch “CNN NewsNight” anchored by Abby Phillip. That show, too, has trailed in the ratings.

Cuomo has since joined Nexstar’s NewsNation, where he hosts a 8 p.m. show called simply “Cuomo.”

The show has some similarities to the CNN show, but it was only averaging around 120,000 total viewers as of September 2023. Cuomo’s CNN show frequently delivered more than 2 million viewers. It also tended to perform well in the key adults 25-54 demo.