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Is Wolf Blitzer quitting CNN? Shorter airtime of veteran journo's program sparks fear about his exit

Initial rumors stemmed from CNN's decision to shorten his signature program, The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer, which lost an hour of airtime to make more time for fellow CNN star Jake Tapper

BY KUNAL DEY

PUBLISHED MAR 27, 2021

Wolf Blitzer's show's airtime was cut short on CNN (Getty Images)

A lot of questions have been raised about CNN star Wolf Blitzer's future with the network, especially after some major scheduling changes it made in January to prepare for the new administration. Fans of the veteran anchor are worried that the major shifts to CNN's daytime and evening programming may result in his exit and a direct answer is yet to be provided by the network.

It's obvious that the changes have raised speculation about Blitzer's career going forward. But is he really leaving CNN, where he has been a mainstay for the past three decades? Here's what we know.

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Journalist Wolf Blitzer appears on stage during the Turner Upfront 2016 show at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on May 18, 2016, in New York City (Getty Images)

It's worth noting that there has been absolutely no confirmation that Blitzer may be leaving the network to pursue other ventures. Initial rumors stemmed from CNN's decision to shorten his signature program, 'The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer', which lost an hour of airtime to make more time for fellow CNN star Jake Tapper.

"Wolf Blitzer will continue to anchor the network’s signature evening newscast, The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer, now airing from 6-7 p.m. EST nightly," according to the network. "The program will be seen around the world, simulcast on the CNN US and CNN International networks. He will also have a principal anchor role for all major breaking news and continue to host CNN special reports."

Wolf's show was shortened from 5-7 pm EST to 6-7 pm EST. At the same time, the network also announced that Dana Bash will co-anchor Tapper on Sunday’s 'State of the Union'. The major revamp in programming came just days before President Joe Biden was sworn into office. CNN boasted of having its highest viewership numbers ever in 2020 and felt confident that making some sweeping programming shifts might help boost their ratings even further.

The network revealed that its most-watched day in history was on January 6, when a violent mob stormed the US Capitol building and temporarily delayed Congress' certification of Joe Biden's Electoral College victory. Meanwhile, another major announcement by the network was to make former White House correspondent Jim Acosta a new weekend anchor and chief domestic correspondent. The decision came after years of the reporter engaging in combative exchanges with former president Donald J Trump.

Former president Donald Trump answers a question from Jim Acosta of CNN after giving remarks a day after the midterm elections on November 7, 2018, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

CNN also roped in senior White House correspondent Pamela Brown to do some anchoring, giving her the charge of CNN Newsroom on Saturdays and Sundays from 6-9 pm.

That said, Blitzer has not let the shift in programming affect his reportage and continues to tackle the biggest trending topics in the country. Of late, Blitzer has been heavily critical of the recent uptick in hate crimes against Asian-Americans across the country. The veteran journalist has been known to invite a number of state representatives, governors, members of the community and other influential figures to his show in an effort to unpack the myriad of issues plaguing the country.