CNN’s ongoing turmoil continues as the executive producer of “The Source with Kaitlan Collins” abruptly resigns, citing overwhelming work demands.
As reported by The New York Post, Kristin Donnelly, a longtime television producer, informed colleagues of her departure last week, stating that the grueling schedule had been “taking a toll” on her.
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Her sudden exit raises further questions about the stability of the struggling network, which has been hemorrhaging viewers and grappling with leadership shake-ups.
Donnelly, who previously worked at NBC News before joining CNN in 2017, played a key role in launching “The Source” in 2023. The program was supposed to be CNN’s answer to its competitors’ primetime dominance, yet it has failed to attract a significant audience.
According to insider reports, Donnelly’s departure shocked her colleagues, highlighting the mounting pressures inside the network’s newsroom.
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Her resignation comes at a time when Collins herself is juggling her role as a primetime anchor and CNN’s chief White House correspondent. The network has been paying her a hefty $3 million salary despite her inability to compete with more established voices in conservative media.
In fact, some reports suggest CNN CEO Mark Thompson is looking for a way to push Collins back to Washington, D.C., away from the anchor desk where her ratings woes have been impossible to ignore.
CNN’s prime-time lineup continues to lag behind its competitors, with Collins’ show averaging just 119,000 viewers in the key 25-54 demographic last week.
That might be a slight win for CNN, but it pales in comparison to the dominance of Fox News’ “Hannity,” which remains the undisputed leader, followed by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow.
When total viewership is considered, Collins doesn’t even come close—Hannity pulled in 2.786 million viewers, while Maddow secured 1.726 million. Meanwhile, CNN’s entire primetime lineup barely managed 588,000 average viewers, further underscoring its decline.
Despite its floundering ratings, CNN executives have attempted to spin the numbers as a positive, touting their second-place finish in the 25-54 demographic.
However, that minor victory does little to mask the reality that the network remains far behind Fox News and MSNBC in overall audience reach. Fox News averaged 3.252 million viewers in primetime, while MSNBC garnered 1.221 million.
CNN, once a major player in cable news, now looks more like an afterthought.
Network leadership continues scrambling for solutions, with Thompson—who took over as CEO in 2023—implementing cost-cutting measures and shifting focus toward digital and streaming content.
But CNN’s inability to connect with audiences has been apparent for years, and it seems unlikely that minor programming tweaks will reverse its downward trajectory.
Donnelly’s exit is just the latest sign that CNN is in trouble. The network is bleeding talent, losing audience share, and struggling to redefine itself in an era where Americans have more media options than ever before.
Whether Collins stays in primetime or is shipped back to D.C., it’s clear that CNN’s problems are far from over.
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