CNN cancels Brian Stelter’s Reliable Sources, Media commentator and “Reliable Sources” host Brian Stelter will host his final show on CNN this coming Sunday.
“CNN’s ‘Reliable Sources’ will air its final episode this coming Sunday, August 21. Therefore, Brian Stelter will be leaving the firm. A CNN representative told Fox News Digital, “We value his services to the network and wish him well as he embarks on other projects.”
In a letter to NPR, Stelter expressed his appreciation for his time at CNN and for the show’s focus on “media, truth, and the stories that define our world.” He joined CNN in 2013 as the host of the Sunday edition of the network’s show devoted to media and entertainment news, having previously worked as a correspondent for the New York Times.
Since taking over as CNN’s CEO, Chris Licht has shifted the network’s focus from the left opinion programming for which it became renowned under Zucker’s watch, especially under the Trump administration, hence Stelter’s departure.
Stelter became known as a liberal pundit who devoted much of his airtime to attacking conservative news outlets. In a recent article on an effort to restore the organization’s nonpartisan attitude, he was singled out as the “face of the network’s liberal turn,”, especially in the eyes of conservatives.
On Sunday, Stelter will air his last show on CNN. He has been one of the media’s harshest critics of Trump. Stelter, the liberal journalist who in 2020 argued that the Hunter Biden controversy was nothing more than a “right-wing media story,” recently seemed to have a revelation regarding the gravity of the issue, which many felt was an attempt to satisfy new management.
During the tenure of former Vice President Joe Biden, the ratings for “Reliable Sources” were low. Compared to August of last year, the show’s ratings are down a shocking 41% among adults 25-54, a key demographic for advertisers. This year, Stelter’s show lost 34% of its core demographic audience and 26% of its overall viewership. The demo ratings for “Reliable Sources” also fell to their lowest level before Trump took office in 2022.
Former CNN v.p. Amy Entelis praised Stelter as an “impeccable broadcaster” as he was leaving the network.
“Stelter was the top media reporter in the country at The New York Times before joining CNN. He leaves CNN as a model host. The work that Brian and his colleagues have done over the years is impressive, and Entelis told Fox News Digital that they are convinced the show’s influence will continue to have an effect long after it has ended.
Fox News Digital sought further comment from Stelter, but he did not immediately answer.
Stelter, who has built a name for himself defending leftist media outlets, was close with former CNN president Jeff Zucker, who was himself ousted earlier this year in preparation for a long-planned merger that put CNN under the management of the newly established Warner Bros. Discovery.
Licht, a veteran TV executive who took over for Zucker, is said to be opposed to CNN anchors and reporters criticizing other media outlets.
Critics often referred to CNN’s Brian Stelter as a “hall monitor” or the “janitor of the media,” while others called him names like “Humpty Dumpty” and “Tater” during his time there.
Oliver Darcy, who has long been viewed as Brian Stelter’s sidekick at CNN, will remain with the network and take over the Reliable Sources” newsletter.
Just days after CNN’s veteran chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin announced his leave, word of Stelter’s departure broke. Toobin is largely believed to have been forced out by Licht in an effort to restore the network’s once-proud reputation after he was notably embroiled in a mess of a crisis in 2020 when he was discovered masturbating during a Zoom meeting.
Before joining CNN, Licht said he would “reimagine” the morning show. Keilar is now a co-host, and she has gained notoriety for her contentious discussions with conservatives. There has been no word on whether or not she will be featured in the new morning show set to debut this coming fall.
