By DAVID BAUDER (AP Media Writer)
NEW YORK (AP) — 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 boldness of the community’s journalists.
The change was introduced at CNN’s editorial assembly Wednesday morning and got here simply two days after Licht mentioned he would “fight like hell” to earn the belief of these round him.
David Zaslav, CEO of CNN guardian firm Warner Bros. Discovery, appointed a four-person interim management group, and mentioned on the editorial assembly that he would conduct an intensive seek for Licht’s alternative.
Licht had a mandate to try to make CNN extra palatable to either side of the nation’s political divide; Republicans had change 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 persona Don Lemon. Efforts to construct a brand new prime-time lineup moved slowly, with Kaitlan Collins solely not too long ago appointed to fill at 9 p.m. hour and not using a everlasting host since Chris Cuomo was fired in December 2021.
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 switch an internally in style predecessor, Jeff Zucker. Zucker was fired for not revealing a consensual relationship with a fellow CNN government.
Zaslav mentioned in a memo to CNN employees members that the job “was by no means going to be straightforward, particularly at a time of nice disruption and transformation.
“Chris poured his heart and soul into it,” he mentioned. “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 have 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 keeping with a Wall Street Journal article that was posted Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, viewers have 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 alternative 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 mentioned within the memo.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”