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Former NBA All-Star Charles Barkley offered a blunt assessment about CNN during talks about him potentially joining the network.
In an interview with the New York Post, Barkley confirmed reports about the serious discussions he and "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King are having with CNN about hosting a show in primetime.
The longtime sports commentator revealed, though, that he and King would be a package deal.
"They are trying to pair Gayle King and me," Barkley told The Post on Thursday. "We don’t have anything set in stone. I’m only considering it because of my respect for Gayle."
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Former NBA All-Star Charles Barkley confirmed to the New York Post that he is talking with CNN about potentially hosting a show in primetime but not all weeknights. (Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for American Express)
However, Barkley insisted the idea of him hosting a show every weeknight is a non-starter, telling The Post, "That is never going to happen," which further complicates CNN's ongoing dilemma of how to fill the vacant slots in primetime.
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Previous reporting from Puck signaled that CNN was hoping to rely on in-house talent like Barkley, an analyst for TNT, which shares the same parent company Warner Bros. Discovery as CNN.
Licht previously worked King as the executive producer of "CBS This Morning."
"I just want to help the company because obviously it is a s–- show right now," Barkley told The Post. "Anything I can do to help."
CNN declined to comment.
"CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King is in talks with hosting a CNN program alongside Charles Barkley. (Michele Crowe/CBS via Getty Images)
CNN boss Chris Licht is hoping to land big-name talent for his network's struggling primetime lineup.
The 9 p.m. ET time slot has been vacant ever since the December 2021 firing of Chris Cuomo, who at the time was CNN's most-watched anchor. The primetime vacancy further expanded when Licht pulled Don Lemon, who had anchored from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. ET, for a new morning show.
Cuomo's old time slot has been a revolving door of failed experiments from Jim Acosta to Jake Tapper while oftentimes the network has turned to 8 p.m. anchor Anderson Cooper to do two back-to-back hours. Lemon's old time slot has frequently been filled by CNN anchors Alisyn Camerota and Laura Coates.
A CNN spokesman previously told Fox News Digital, "Chris is having conversations with dozens of culturally relevant individuals from the worlds of news, sports, entertainment and comedy."
CNN boss Chris Licht has the big task of restoring the network's journalistic credibility and reviving its waning viewership. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery)
It had also been reported that CNN was looking at comedians to potentially be placed in primetime, particularly following the success of Fox News' "Gutfeld!", which has quickly become the most-watched late-night show on television, frequently outpacing CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and regularly trouncing NBC's "Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon" and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
Names that were allegedly floated at CNN included Jon Stewart, Trevor Noah, Arsenio Hall and Bill Maher.
Earlier this month, CNN announced that it would be airing Maher's "Overtime" segment on Friday nights, which were previously released on YouTube immediately following HBO's broadcast of "Real Time," another property of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Despite the viral buzz that was generated, CNN did not reap the benefit from its in-house exclusive as viewership on Friday nights has not seen a boost.