Major CNN Star Could Be Out As Network Seeks To Cut Salaries, Staff

One of cable news’ biggest names may soon face the chopping block at CNN as executives scramble to keep the network profitable amid plunging ratings and revenue.

After nearly 24 years, Anderson Cooper’s long tenure at CNN could be coming to an end, insiders report, with his job reportedly at risk amid a new wave of cost-cutting.

Dylan Byers of Puck News first revealed that Cooper, once one of CNN’s brightest stars under Jeff Zucker, has lost some of his luster. The veteran journalist has witnessed CNN’s decline into its current state, where CEO Mark Thompson is combing through every possible expense to find savings.

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Cooper commands a hefty $18 million annual salary that is increasingly hard to justify, especially as some of his equally high-profile CNN colleagues have either left the network or faced significant pay cuts. This shift is reportedly being driven by Gunnar Wiedenfels, chief financial officer of parent company Warner Bros.

The cost-cutting efforts are focusing on areas such as on-air talent compensation, large overseas bureaus, and costly special events coverage—traditionally some of the network’s most expensive operations.

Byers also reported that Erin Burnett, another prominent CNN personality earning a comparatively modest $3 million salary, is likely safe for now, according to sources.

“There will be a transitional period where CNN will hold on to a few bold-faced names through their contracts,” Byers explained. “My guess is Erin falls into that camp.”

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Staffers at CNN’s New York studios and Atlanta headquarters are anxious about what the changes could mean for their career prospects, the veteran journalist adds.

“CNN will begin to look more like HLN: smaller salaries, smaller budgets, less ambitious programming,” he wrote.

Speculation about Cooper’s potential exit from CNN began to swirl after reports surfaced that he signed an agency agreement with CAA, which represents some of the biggest names in network television. According to the Daily Mail, the move suggests Cooper might be preparing to leave on his own terms rather than being pushed out.

The decline of a network he helped build into a household name seems to be taking a toll on Cooper, Byers explained. He is reportedly weary of falling ratings, internal conflicts, and emotional farewells to longtime colleagues being forced out.

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Staffers close to the situation described the studio atmosphere as “grim,” with many expressing deep distrust in leadership’s ability to support both on-screen and behind-the-scenes employees who have dedicated decades to the network.

Wiedenfels, known in the television industry as a tough cost-cutter, is leading efforts to reorganize CNN into a new cable division focused heavily on reality-based programming, alongside networks like HGTV, TBS, TNT, and the Food Network.

Within CNN, staffers have taken to calling the new conglomerate “Sh*t Co.”

Despite leaks to the media, no CNN employee is exempt from Wiedenfels’s push to extract profitability from the struggling cable news giant.

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“Anchors raking in millions of dollars per year have targets on their backs,” another insider told Status.

Other staffers are CNN are blaming David Zaslav, the Warner Bros. CEO who orchestrated the spinoff. “He killed it,” another source told the outlet. “The last few years under Zas has been a disaster.”

Meanwhile, Page Six reports that office gossip at CNN is stirring up resentment as star anchor Kaitlan Collins reportedly purchased a “very expensive” vacation home in Nantucket—just as her colleagues are grappling with staff cuts, newsroom reorganizations, and other cost-saving measures at the struggling network.

“She just bought some bougie place and CNN people are grossed out that she paid so much,” said a source. They added for good measure, “She’s way overpaid.”

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After Thompson took over in October 2023, he merged the network’s three newsrooms into a single unit to reduce overhead and implemented several rounds of layoffs. In January, around 200 jobs were eliminated as part of a major reorganization.