Even in the face of a ratings war that has forced staff cuts, CNN found a way to grant its token MAGA panelist a hefty pay hike.
The network and Scott Jennings are in the final stages of contract negotiations that will see the conservative pundit receive a substantial pay increase, according to Status News, run by former CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy.
Sources told Status that the terms of the contract are expected to be favorable to Jennings, though it appears CNN turned down his request for his own online or cable news show. The network declined to comment.
Jennings regularly clashes with other panelists and anchors at CNN. Last month, Jennings fiercely defended DOGE chief Elon Musk during a panel discussion over the billionaire’s potential conflicts of interest as he leads the Trump administration’s efforts to cut down government spending.
He was on screens Thursday night defending the Trump administration again on NewsNight with Abby Phillip.
The deal aligns with CNN’s shift toward “both-sides” commentary under the ownership of the David Zaslav-led Warner Bros. Discovery.
In January, CEO Mark Thompson announced that CNN would lay off 200 people in its TV business, or about 6 percent of staff, as part of a broader shake-up.
CNN ended 2024 with some of its lowest ratings ever. Still, it managed to land in second place between Fox News and MSNBC in year-end averages with the advertiser-coveted 25-54 age demographic, clocking an average of 92,000 total-day viewers.
“Turning a great news organization toward the future is not a one-day affair,” Thompson wrote in a staff memo in July as 100 people were laid off, according to The New York Times.
