NEW YORK — CNN ousted chief government Chris Licht after a tumultuous yr main the struggling information community that culminated in a damning journal profile and the rising realization that he’d misplaced the arrogance of the community’s journalists.
The change was introduced at CNN’s editorial assembly Wednesday morning and got here simply two days after Licht stated he would “fight like hell” to earn the belief of these round him.
David Zaslav, CEO of CNN mother or father firm Warner Bros. Discovery, appointed a four-person interim management staff, and stated on the editorial assembly that he would conduct an intensive seek for Licht’s substitute.
Licht had a mandate to attempt to make CNN extra palatable to each side of the nation’s political divide; Republicans had turn into more and more suspicious of the community following repeated assaults by former President Donald Trump.
But some on the community noticed Licht’s mandate for change as a repudiation of their previous work, and a stay city corridor interview with Trump final month drew widespread criticism.
Earlier within the yr, Licht revamped the community’s morning present, however that proved unsuccessful and led to the firing of longtime character Don Lemon. Efforts to construct a brand new prime-time lineup moved slowly, with Kaitlan Collins solely lately appointed to fill at 9 p.m. hour and not using a everlasting host since Chris Cuomo was fired in December 2021.
Licht oversaw layoffs final yr following Zaslav’s resolution to shutter the CNN+ streaming service solely weeks after it had began.
Licht, who had produced MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” CBS’ morning information present and Stephen Colbert’s late-night present, was appointed by Zaslav simply over a yr in the past to exchange an internally in style predecessor, Jeff Zucker. Zucker was fired for not revealing a consensual relationship with a fellow CNN government.
Zaslav stated in a memo to CNN employees members that the job “was by no means going to be simple, particularly at a time of nice disruption and transformation.
“Chris poured his heart and soul into it,” he stated. “He has a deep love for journalism and this business and that has been evident throughout his tenure. Unfortunately, things did not work out the way we had hoped – and ultimately that’s on me.”
Licht didn’t instantly return a message searching for remark.
A prolonged profile of Licht in Atlantic journal that got here out on Friday, titled “Inside the Meltdown at CNN,” proved embarrassing and sure sealed his destiny. Some journalists had been angered due to Licht’s criticism of a few of CNN’s COVID protection earlier than he had arrived.
Some of CNN’s chief anchors – Jake Tapper, Anderson Cooper and Erin Burnett – had privately expressed their reservations about Licht’s management, in accordance with a Wall Street Journal article that was posted Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, viewers had been disappearing. CNN’s prime-time viewership of 494,000 in May was down 16% from April and was lower than half of its closest information rival, MSNBC.
Zaslav appointed 4 present CNN executives – Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley, Eric Sherling and David Leavy – to run the community whereas a seek for a substitute is performed.
“We are in good hands, allowing us to take the time we need to run a thoughtful and thorough search for a new leader,” Zaslav stated within the memo.
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