Don Lemon defends Chris Licht, CNN CEO, Wednesday “unfair”Critics of network changes including major personnel decisions and changing primetime lineups.
“I really like Chris,”CNN host Telled Semafor. “When I read stories about what’s happening at CNN and about Chris and what he’s doing, I think it’s unfair. I think people should give him a chance. Everyone has a new vision when they come in as a new boss. Let’s see what his vision is and how it plays out.”
Lemon’s comments come a month after the news that the host would shift his primetime gig, “Tonight with Don Lemon,”To host a morning show called “CNN This Morning”Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Hartlow. Licht also made waves when he canceled Brian Stelter’s “Reliable Sources” and through his stated attempts to tone down any displays of partisanship by on-air talent.
The show will air weekdays at 6-9 a.m. ET, aims to meet Licht’s goal to reimagine the morning lineup and become “a disrupter of the broadcast morning shows in this space” as he announced in May.
Lemon, who insists that the change was not a promotion, believes the shift to mornings may be a welcome one as politics in primetime is no longer a major concern. “gotten old.”
“Look, has it been frustrating over the last couple of years having to deal with politics in the way it’s been dealt with in primetime? Yes,”Lemon. “Was I tired of it? In some ways, yeah it’s gotten old. But I also think we were transitioning to a different time.”
He also acknowledged that he covered former President Donald Trump’s story. “factor” in being “tired”Of primetime “I would be lying to you if I didn’t say that was a factor,”He added, “He also said that he…” “never really butted heads”Trump. “He didn’t have the courage to come on and take hard questions from CNN and me and my show.”
Trump was out of office. The primetime hour did NOT have to open with a monologue. “how bad he was and how terrible things were in the country,”Lemon reported that the hosts had a different approach to primetime, shifting their focus to the Ukraine crisis and other news stories.
“So I was ready to move on and I think the audience is ready to move on as well,”He said. “And even if [Trump] comes back, I think there’s a different approach that can be taken in primetime and in the mornings. The morning gives me more latitude to educate and elevate the conversation.”
As for how Lemon will approach hosting his new morning show, which will make its debut Nov. 1, he says he’s “just going to be [himself],”The strategy seems to have worked in the past decades.
“I’m really not concerned about the ratings: I’m concerned about making it the best morning show possible and appealing to multiple demographics and people who are interested in other things than raw, tribal politics,”He said.
