Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav addressed employees Wednesday in an internal memo to oust his pick, CNN CEO Chris Licht.
“I have known Chris for many years and have the utmost respect for him personally and professionally. This job was never going to be easy, especially in a time of great disruption and change, and Chris has put his heart and soul into it. Spirited,” Zaslav wrote. “He has a deep love for journalism and this business and it has been evident throughout his tenure. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out the way we’d hoped – and ultimately it’s on me. I take responsibility Needless to say, we appreciate Chris’ efforts and dedication and wish him the best.
Licht’s tenure, which began when he assumed the position of CEO and President of CNN Worldwide in April 2022, has been criticized by former and current CNN employees alike, including former CNN CEO Jeff Zucker, whom Licht succeeded.
Licht immediately made his mark on a network known for implementing policies to reduce any displays of favoritism by on-air talent.
By mid-September, media reporter and “Reliable Sources” host Brian Stelter was kicked out and his show was cancelled, with reporter John Harwood calling Trump a “dishonest leader” in his last on-air appearance. The latter walked out and Don Lemon was fired from his show. primetime gig hosting the newly rebooted “CNN This Morning.” After lining up Lemon, Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow to host the new morning show, which is slated to launch in November 2022 – part of Licht’s goal to “re-invent the morning” – Lemon The program quickly failed ratings-wise before K’s sudden exit and Colin being shifted. “CNN This Morning” would need another rethink for a new primetime program.
Trouble ended for Licht last week after The Atlantic published a devastating 16,000-word profile of the CNN boss, alleging that Licht berated former President Donald Trump during his May town hall on the network to “have fun.” Where did you go? The event was heavily criticized as providing a sounding board for Trump to continue spreading misinformation about the 2020 election and to further discredit author E. Jean Carroll. Although the network initially claimed that “GOP-leaning independents” would make up the audience for the Catelyn Collins-moderated live event, the profile noted that Licht knew the crowd would skew more toward MAGA enthusiasts. Following the spread of the profile, Licht apologized to the staff in an editorial meeting for detracting from the network’s work, saying, “CNN is not about me. I shouldn’t be in the news unless it’s for you.” Do not take
Zaslav told employees in an editorial conference call Wednesday morning that the company is in the process of conducting an extensive search internally and externally for CNN’s new leader.
In the interim, Licht will be replaced by Amy Entellis, executive vice president of talent and content development, Virginia Moseley, executive vice president of editorial, and Eric Scherling, executive vice president of US programming. Newly appointed Chief Operating Officer David Levy will continue to run the business on the commercial side.
“We have great confidence in this group and will fully support them until a new CEO is named. We are in good hands, allowing us to take the time necessary to conduct a thoughtful and thorough search for a new leader. I I recognize that such changes can be stressful and we appreciate your continued patience as we move through this process,” the memo concluded. “You’ve heard me say it many times: CNN has the greatest journalists in the world… We are deeply committed to supporting them and the important work CNN does every day. We must get this right – and we will!”
Lori Seitz contributed to this report
