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Jeff Zucker Eyes Booting Piers Morgan Out of Prime Time, But Not Off CNN. Morgan’s Current $8 Million Contract Ends Next Year

Dec 11, 2012  •  Post A Comment

As new CNN chief Jeff Zucker looks for ways to pump life into the cable news channel’s ratings, one change that is reportedly under consideration is booting Piers Morgan’s talk show from prime time.

Morgan might get his show pushed back into late-night hours, with the slumping network considering airing his show at 10 p.m. or later, reports the New York Post. Morgan, whose show now airs at 9 p.m., might be shifted because Zucker and his Time Warner bosses want to boost ratings during the prime-time hours of 7-10 p.m., the piece notes.

Morgan replaced CNN fixture Larry King in 2010 after King retired. When Morgan’s three-year, $8 million contract expires next year, Zucker may try to find a new role for him at CNN, although he won’t be pushed out of the network, according to the piece.

CNN also wants to stop airing repeats of Anderson Cooper’s "AC360," which has aired at 8 p.m. and again at 10 p.m. since CNN canceled Eliot Spitzer’s show more than a year ago. Spitzer has since resurfaced with a show on Current TV.

If Morgan were moved to 10 p.m., he would compete against Charlie Rose on Bloomberg TV, while an even later period would place him against late-night hosts such as Jay Leno and David Letterman.

CNN declined to comment and Morgan’s agent didn’t return calls.

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