The CNN schedule on weekdays runs from “CNN This Morning” at 6 a.m. ET to “The Story Is with Elex Michaelson” at 2 a.m., with Jake Tapper, Anderson Cooper and Kaitlan Collins in the evening. On weekends, however, CNN swaps in Smerconish, State of the Union and Fareed Zakaria GPS. Below is the full lineup hour by hour in Eastern Time, with UK (GMT) times beside it.
Key facts (as of November 2026)
- CNN’s weekday prime time is Erin Burnett OutFront (7 p.m. ET), Anderson Cooper 360 (8), The Source with Kaitlan Collins (9) and NewsNight with Abby Phillip (10).
- Sunday mornings carry the political talk shows: Inside Politics Sunday (8 a.m. ET), State of the Union (9) and Fareed Zakaria GPS (10).
- On Tuesday, November 3, election coverage replaces the normal lineup from 4 p.m. ET.
What is on the CNN schedule today?
CNN is a 24-hour US cable news channel based in Atlanta, with studios in New York, Washington and Los Angeles. On a normal weekday its named programs run for 21 straight hours, from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. ET.
In fact, the daytime structure has been stable since March 2025, when CNN moved Wolf Blitzer to mornings, Kasie Hunt to 4 p.m. and Jake Tapper to 5 p.m., according to TVNewser. Current TV listings for late October 2026 also show the same evening order.
CNN weekday schedule (Monday to Friday)
All times are Eastern. Because US clocks fall back on November 1, you should add five hours for the UK and six for Central Europe from then until March.
| ET | GMT | Program | Host(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–6 a.m. | 10–11 a.m. | CNN Headline Express | Headline simulcast |
| 6–7 a.m. | 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | CNN This Morning | Audie Cornish |
| 7–10 a.m. | 12–3 p.m. | CNN News Central | John Berman, Kate Bolduan, Sara Sidner |
| 10 a.m.–12 p.m. | 3–5 p.m. | The Situation Room | Wolf Blitzer, Pamela Brown |
| 12–1 p.m. | 5–6 p.m. | Inside Politics | Dana Bash |
| 1–4 p.m. | 6–9 p.m. | CNN News Central | Brianna Keilar, Boris Sanchez |
| 4–5 p.m. | 9–10 p.m. | The Arena | Kasie Hunt |
| 5–7 p.m. | 10 p.m.–12 a.m. | The Lead | Jake Tapper |
| 7–8 p.m. | 12–1 a.m. | Erin Burnett OutFront | Erin Burnett |
| 8–9 p.m. | 1–2 a.m. | Anderson Cooper 360 | Anderson Cooper |
| 9–10 p.m. | 2–3 a.m. | The Source | Kaitlan Collins |
| 10–11 p.m. | 3–4 a.m. | CNN NewsNight | Abby Phillip |
| 11 p.m.–12 a.m. | 4–5 a.m. | Laura Coates Live | Laura Coates |
| 12–2 a.m. | 5–7 a.m. | The Story Is | Elex Michaelson (Los Angeles) |
Two practical notes help here. “The Lead” runs two hours, so the 6 p.m. hour is still Tapper. Also, the 12–2 a.m. block comes from Los Angeles, which is why it feels like a West Coast evening show.
What time are CNN’s evening shows on the West Coast?
CNN airs one national feed, so Pacific viewers see each show three hours earlier on the clock. For example, The Lead starts at 2 p.m. Pacific time, while Anderson Cooper 360 begins at 5 p.m. and Laura Coates Live at 8 p.m. on the West Coast. After that, The Story Is fills the 9 to 11 p.m. Pacific slot.
CNN weekend schedule (Saturday and Sunday)
Weekends are lighter on live hours and heavier on talk shows and documentaries. In general, the morning slots are the most reliable, while afternoons and evenings shift more often around specials.
Saturday lineup
| ET | GMT | Program |
|---|---|---|
| 6–8 a.m. | 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | CNN This Morning Weekend with Victor Blackwell |
| 9–10 a.m. | 2–3 p.m. | Smerconish with Michael Smerconish |
| 10–11 a.m. | 3–4 p.m. | Table for Five |
| 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | 4–5 p.m. | The Amanpour Hour with Christiane Amanpour |
| 12–1 p.m. | 5–6 p.m. | The Arena: Saturday with Kasie Hunt |
| Afternoon | Evening | CNN Newsroom (weekend edition) |
| 9 p.m. | 2 a.m. (Sun) | Have I Got News for You (new episodes) |
Sunday lineup
| ET | GMT | Program |
|---|---|---|
| 6–8 a.m. | 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | CNN This Morning Weekend with Victor Blackwell |
| 8–9 a.m. | 1–2 p.m. | Inside Politics Sunday with Manu Raju |
| 9–10 a.m. | 2–3 p.m. | State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash |
| 10–11 a.m. | 3–4 p.m. | Fareed Zakaria GPS |
| Afternoon | Evening | CNN Newsroom (weekend edition) |
| Prime time | Late night | Original series and documentaries (varies) |
Also, CNN’s press room confirmed the Saturday 9 p.m. ET slot for new “Have I Got News for You” episodes on October 24 and October 31, 2026. However, we left out weekend hours we couldn’t confirm in at least two listings.
How does election week change the CNN schedule?
On Tuesday, November 3, however, CNN drops its regular programs for the midterms. “Election Night in America” with Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper starts at 4 p.m. ET, and John Berman and Kate Bolduan take over at 2 a.m. Wednesday, according to The Desk. In addition, our page on CNN’s election night coverage has the full timetable in ET, GMT and CET.
Breaking news can also pre-empt any hour at short notice, for example when a major story breaks. So if a show is missing, check the guide on your TV service or the CNN app’s live tab for the day’s changes.
Coming soon: the NewsLive streaming app. We’re building one subscription for live international news on Android, Roku, Fire TV and desktop. The service is under development. See what the NewsLive app will offer and join the early-access list.
Where can you watch these shows live?
To watch the US channel, you need a pay-TV or live TV streaming sign-in, or else a CNN All Access subscription. Our CNN live stream guide compares every official option and price, and watching CNN without cable covers the cheapest routes. And if you watch on a TV stick, the CNN on Roku steps walk through setup.
Outside the US, however, TV packages in the UK and Europe carry CNN International instead, which runs its own lineup. The CNN International guide explains how that schedule differs. Finally, for every other network we cover, see the channels A to Z or browse all channel guides.
Frequently asked questions
What time is Anderson Cooper on CNN?
“Anderson Cooper 360” airs at 8 p.m. ET on weekdays. In other words, it starts at 1 a.m. GMT in the UK from November 1.
Does the CNN schedule change on weekends?
Yes. Weekends start with CNN This Morning Weekend at 6 a.m. ET and then move to talk shows such as Smerconish on Saturday and State of the Union on Sunday. By contrast, prime time is mostly original series and documentaries.
What is on CNN overnight?
“The Story Is with Elex Michaelson” airs live from Los Angeles from midnight to 2 a.m. ET. After that, CNN Headline Express follows in the early morning before “CNN This Morning” at 6 a.m.
Is the CNN schedule the same in the UK?
No. UK and European TV services carry CNN International, which has its own lineup and presenters. So the US times in our table won’t match what you see on a UK TV guide.
