CNN's John King Could Be Replaced by Familiar Face

CNN anchor John King kept his noon timeslot amid the daytime anchor shuffling CNN CEO Chris Licht announced last week. However, that might not be the case for long. King, 59, might be replaced “eventually” by another CNN regular, Dana Bash.

On Jan. 11, CNN announced major upcoming changes to the daytime lineup. The only show that will survive the shuffle, at least temporarily, is Inside Politics with John King. The hour-long show airs at 12 p.m. ET and will be the bridge between the 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET blocks.

Videos by PopCulture.com

Watch the CNN daytime lineup on Sling TV, starting at $20 for the first month

Sources later told Puck News that this arrangement might be temporary. Licht reportedly plans to “eventually” give the 12 p.m. ET hour to Bash. Coincidentally, King and Bash, 51, were married from 2008 to 2012 and share a son. In 2021, Bash joined Jake Tapper to co-host the CNN Sunday morning show State of the Union, which King hosted when it launched in 2009. King has been working at CNN since 1997.

The new CNN daytime lineup does not have a launch date, but it is expected to take effect “in the coming months,” the network said. The 9 a.m.-12 p.m. ET block will be anchored by John Berman, Kate Bolduan, and Sara Sidner from CNN’s New York studios. After King, Brianna Keilar, Boris Sanchez, and Jim Sciutto will anchor the 1 p.m.-4 p.m. ET block.

The day before CNN announced the changes, Licht told Variety that the new daytime hours will feature anchors getting away from the static position behind desks. He hopes this will put CNN’s “real-time newsgathering” on better display during daytime hours which usually earn low ratings. “The goal we have is to take an incredible newsgathering operation that has so much information coming in at all hours from all over the world, and, in an authentic way, reflect that energy on air,” Licht said on Jan. 10.

CNN viewers got a taste of the direction Licht wants to take the daytime hours during its coverage of the U.S. House Speaker election. Anchors were superimposed on screens alongside the action in the Capitol and there was fluid interaction between anchors and correspondents. Insiders told Variety that CNN might consider a “newsroom headquarters” concept where multiple journalists are on screen at once, including some not behind a desk. “Everything is on the table,” Licht said. “We are really starting from scratch.”

Watch CNN without cable

With Sling TV, you can watch the CNN daytime lineup live every morning and stay up-to-date with the day’s news and views.

If you don’t already have a cable TV provider, sign up for Sling TV. The service offers more than 40 cable TV channels, including CNN, for $40 per month. Right now, they’re offering $20 off the first month. Sling TV includes 50 hours of free DVR storage so you can set it to record Inside Politics with John King each morning while you still can.

Watch CNN on Sling TV, starting at $20 a month for the first month

Shop TV deals to watch all your favorite news channels

If you want to watch CNN on a brand-new television, we’ve found a few good smart TV deals for you, too. Just download the Sling TV app when your new television is installed.