CNBC Cancels Shepard Smith's Show

CNBC hired Shepard Smith in 2020 in hopes of better establishing the network as a successful, newsworthy cable news operation. Two years later, Smith is leaving the network entirely.

NBCUniversal announced Thursday that CNBC canceled the primetime program “The News with Shepard Smith." Smith will depart the network later this month.

"The News" averaged 225,00 viewers in October. The network says it will refocus on business and market coverage during the 7 pm hour beginning in 2023.

As for Smith's future, CNN is a network to watch. CNN CEO Chris Licht is reimagining the lineup with what he considers more traditional and credible news anchors. Perhaps he considers Shepard Smith traditional and credible -- that's certainly up for interpretation.

Interestingly, the news about Smith's departure comes less than 12 hours after CNN announced that Jake Tapper, who has guest hosted the 9 pm time slot over the last month, would return to 4 pm following the midterm elections.

Media reporters had previously marked Tapper as the frontrunner to land the time slot permanently. Instead, CNN says it will announce a new host for the 9 pm hour in the coming days.

At least it won't be Don Lemon. By the way, check out Lemon's ratings in the morning. They barely fit on the chart.

NewsNation would also appear to be a logical landing spot for Smith. The fledgling cable news network hired Chris Cuomo in October and announced plans to expand its daily program. However, a source tells OutKick not to expect Shep Smith to sign with NewsNation.

CNBC President KC Sullivan addressed Smith's departure in an email to staffers on Thursday:

"After spending time with many of you and closely reviewing the various aspects of our business, I believe we must prioritize and focus on our core strengths of business news and personal finance. As a result of this strategic alignment to our core business, we will need to shift some of our priorities and resources and make some difficult decisions.”

Sullivan took over for Mark Hoffman, who hired Shep Smith, in September.

Written by
Bobby Burack is a writer for OutKick where he reports and analyzes the latest topics in media, culture, sports, and politics.. Burack has become a prominent voice in media and has been featured on several shows across OutKick and industry related podcasts and radio stations.