A former host at CNN who worked with recently-fired host Chris Cuomo spoke out about the firing that took place over the weekend, saying that the network needed to hire a woman to fill the spot.
Brooke Baldwin, who costed CNN’s “New Day” with Chris Cuomo several years ago, made the remarks in videos that she posted to social media.
Cuomo was fired after CNN investigated his alleged role in helping his brother, then-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, navigate a sexual misconduct scandal.
“Just like so many of you I saw the news on Saturday about a sudden change in CNN primetime, and I have no comment on that decision,” Baldwin said, later adding that “what’s happening now creates this opportunity [for women], which is exactly what I was talking about. And so I’ll say it: I would like to see CNN put a woman in that 9 p.m. spot, not me, I’ve moved on, but there are plenty of brilliant women they can choose from.”
“The way we truly change the game for us is to put more women, brown, black, white women in positions of power,” Baldwin said. “And yes, of course, we need more seats at the table, but we also need to build a better, more inclusive table. And CNN primetime has been dominated by male hosts and y’all it’s nearly 2022. Wouldn’t you like to see a woman successfully lead in primetime?”
WATCH:
Just like so many of you, I saw the news Saturday about a sudden change at CNN in primetime. I have no comment on that decision. But as a woman who worked there for over a decade… who has the utmost respect for my former colleagues, I’ll share this: (thread) pic.twitter.com/CjA9GteG5g
— Brooke Baldwin (@BrookeBaldwin) December 5, 2021
TRANSCRIPT:
BROOKE BALDWIN, FORMER CNN HOST: Just like so many of you I saw the news on Saturday about a sudden change in CNN primetime, and I have no comment on that decision. But just as someone, as a woman who worked there for over a decade who has the upmost respect for my former colleagues, I just wanted to share something with you today, and that is when I saw the news pop onto my phone, I did something I hadn’t done since I left that place. I went back and I re-watched my parting words on my last newscast back in April, and I offered up a couple of messages. So, you know, number one, just pure gratitude. Number two, I urged women in whatever industry, but particularly more male-dominated TV news to speak up. And I called for more diverse voices to be telling our stories both in front of the camera and in the executive suites. And so what’s happening now creates this opportunity, which is exactly what I was talking about. And so I’ll say it.
I would like to see CNN put a woman in that 9pm spot, not me, I’ve moved on. But there are plenty of brilliant women they can choose from, you know, I’ve interviewed so many women who successfully lead corporations and Congress, classrooms, activism spaces, Hollywood, music industry, Michelin star restaurants, and they all agree that, you know, the way we truly change the game for us is to put more women, brown, black, white women in positions of power. And yes, of course, we need more seats at the table, but we also need to build a better, more inclusive table. And CNN primetime has been dominated by male hosts and y’all it’s nearly 2022. Wouldn’t you like to see a woman successfully lead in primetime?