‘20/20’s Chris Cuomo In Talks To Join CNN

One week into Jeff Zucker’s reign at CNN, the news network is closing in on bringing another ABC face onboard. 20/20 co-anchor Chris Cuomo is in deep negotiations with to become one of the hosts of a new morning show for the network, sources tell Deadline. “They’re making a play for Cuomo in a fairly significant way and ABC has to figure out fast if they can match or better CNN’s offer,” says a cable news insider. Cuomo’s contract with ABC is reportedly up for renewal and he’s eager to make the jump to cable if the offer is right, the source says. Cuomo was Good Morning America’s news anchor from 2006-2009 before he moved to his current gig on ABC’s newsmagazine show.

If Cuomo does go to CNN, the son of the former NY governor and brother of the current one would be the second ABC on-air talent the cable news network has pinched since Zucker was announced as the new president of CNN Worldwide in November: former ABC Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper was hired in December and made his debut on CNN last week. He will have his own show on the network later this year. And there are plenty more changes coming over the next 18 months. “Look Jeff has this brand he has to respect and grow but he’s walked into a situation where he could change out every single talent on his network right now, everything and everyone is up for grabs and he’s going to start with the morning show,” says a person with close knowledge of the situation. “Frankly he wants to upgrade things and he has a wish list, and Cuomo fits into that perfectly.”

Related: Jeff Zucker’s First Official CNN Hire: ESPN’s Rachel Nichols Joins News Network

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