During an editorial call on Wednesday, David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery and the corporate boss of CNN, took responsibility for hiring Chris Licht, the network boss who was let go after a disastrous 13-month tenure. Zaslav told CNN personnel that they are conducting a “wide search” internally and externally for a new leader, however, this was met with ridicule on social media. Many people raised concerns over whether the outcome will be any different given Zaslav’s mission to return CNN to its centrist coverage and the fact that the same people who hired Licht will be hiring his replacement. Licht was initially hired by Zaslav to steer the network away from left-leaning partisan commentary towards more middle-of-the-road programming, however, his leadership was called into question by senior anchors and reporters at CNN’s news operation. Under Licht’s leadership, CNN saw a massive drop in viewership and profits, which led to his resignation. A group of seasoned programming leaders, including Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley, and Eric Sherling, will act as interim CEO until a new boss is named at the network.
David Zaslav Assumes Complete Accountability for Chris Licht at CNN
