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Kaitlan Collins will permanently take over CNN’s 9 p.m. hour, the network announced on Wednesday, finally filling the vacant primetime slot a week after she hosted the network’s calamitous town hall with former President Donald Trump.
The decision was announced during CNN’s upfront presentation to advertisers on Wednesday. It was first teased to network staffers by CEO Chris Licht, who praised Collins as “one of the top reporters and interviewers in the game.”
“She is a smart and gifted journalist who we’ve all seen hold lawmakers and newsmakers accountable,” Licht wrote in a memo to CNN employees. “She pushes politicians off their talking points, gets real answers—and as everyone who’s worked with her knows—breaks a lot of news.”