Chris Licht has resigned as CEO of CNN, as stated in a press release by the global news network’s parent company on Wednesday.
CNN is now on the lookout for a new leader, both internally and externally, as per a memo from David Zaslav, Warners Bros. Discovery CEO, sent to the CNN staff on Wednesday.
Zaslav praised Licht for having a “deep love for journalism”. Licht, formerly a television producer for MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and CBS’s “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” had a tough job of reshaping CNN’s news coverage to be less partisan and more nuanced than during Donald Trump’s presidency. However, his plans were scuttled due to falling ratings, the abrupt closure of streaming service CNN+, and internal criticism over a recent town hall with Trump.
The town hall where the former president repeated 2020 election lies, mocked E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of sexual abuse, and celebrated Jan. 6 rioters triggered immediate backlash against CNN.
Licht was also responsible for the firing of longtime anchor Don Lemon. The anchorman came under fire earlier this year after he made comments about women being in their “prime” during a segment about 51-year-old Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley.
He was at the helm when Variety published a report in April about Lemon’s alleged hostility and misogynistic behavior towards female colleagues.
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