Jim Acosta's CNN Show Rumored to Be Moving Timeslots to 'Throw a Bone' to Donald Trump

CNN is apparently plotting to exile star anchor Jim Acosta — a longtime antagonist of President-elect Donald Trump — to the “Siberia of television news” in a bid to “throw a bone” at the incoming commander-in-chief, a former colleague claimed.

According to ex-CNN senior media reporter Oliver Darcy, the news network’s boss, Mark Thompson, allegedly spoke with Acosta to propose moving his show, CNN Newsroom, from 10 a.m. to the network's midnight time slot.

"The move would effectively exile Acosta to the Siberia of television news," Darcy wrote in his Status News newsletter.

According to the newsletter, Acosta was allegedly caught "off guard" by the update — with the anchor later using his airtime to self-promote and send a message to Trump to go easier on journalists.

Darcy pointed out, "He had no reason to believe that his current show would be on the chopping block. In fact, his ratings have historically been some of the network’s strongest."

Acosta was reportedly told his possible move was to accommodate switching veteran anchor Wolf Blitzer from primetime evenings to a morning show.

As OK! previously reported, Blitzer's move to mornings was announced as CNN continues to tweak its line-up.

Meanwhile, sources claimed Acosta's move was set into motion due to Trump’s return to office since he has a very contentious relationship with the soon-to-be president, who previously branded the anchor "a rude, terrible person."

"They want to get rid of Acosta to throw a bone to Trump," an unnamed media executive told Darcy. "Midnight is not a serious offer when his ratings are among the best on the network."

Acosta was a CNN White House correspondent during the first Trump administration and had several confrontations with the former president's various press secretaries. This led to him temporarily losing his press pass after one petty exchange at a 2018 press conference.

"CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them," Trump told Acosta at the time.

Acosta used his show on Thursday, January 16, to throw shade at the incoming president and rant about the importance of the media as the GOP leader gets ready to return to the White House.

"I want to take a moment to talk about something President [Joe] Biden said during his farewell address," the CNN anchor told his viewers.

"He warned the free press is crumbling in this country. I would add, that’s only if we, the people, let that happen," he continued. "Journalists exist to seek the truth, to tell people’s stories, to lift up voices that may not be heard otherwise, to shine a light on injustice and to hold the powerful accountable."

"We are not the enemy of the people. We are the defenders of the people. Walter Cronkite once said, ‘Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy. It is democracy,'" Acosta preached.