According to a source familiar with the discussions, Licht could be named within the next week. This is because Licht was not allowed to speak about personnel matters. Puck first reported the selection on Saturday. Puck first reported that he would not be allowed to assume control until the deal to give CNN new corporate ownership is approved by the federal government. This approval is expected to happen in the spring.
The executive vice president of CBS special programming is the new chief. was previously the executive producer of Colbert’s “Late Show” (2016), leading it to the top ratings. Licht was the morning news program on CBS.
Prior to joining CBS in 2012 he was the most senior behind-the scenes executive at MSNBC’s Morning Joe in its early years.
WarnerMedia, CNN’s corporate parent, did not immediately respond to our request for comment.
David Zaslav, Discovery’s CEO, made the choice for Licht. The company is currently awaiting approval to take over WarnerMedia.
Zucker was fired as CNN chief earlier in the month after he failed to disclose to his superiors about his romantic relationship with Allison Gollust (a top CNN marketing executive). Gollust was eventually fired.
Zucker was an experienced executive who led CNN through years of criticism from former President Donald Trump. Many of his employees were loyal.
Licht will make it a priority to find a permanent replacement of Chris Cuomo. He was once CNN’s most beloved prime-time host. Cuomoo was firedin Dec when his efforts to assist his brother, the former governor of New York, were revealed. Andrew Cuomo was charged with sexual misconduct.
Many CNN personalities have grown more opinionated during Zucker’s tenure. There has been some discussion about whether a new chief executives would attempt to reset the system.
Licht took over at Colbert’s show, when it was struggling, but he did not return a message. It rose to the top late-night thanks to Colbert’s sharp attacks on Trump.
He will also oversee the launch of CNN+, a paid streaming service. CNN+ has already hired Chris Wallace, a former Fox News host.
CNN’s television channel has suffered from a decline in popularity, just like other news outlets. It has been praised by Zaslav for its coverage of the Russian attack in Ukraine this week, but it has lost its popularity as a news outlet.
“It becomes quite clear as you travel around the globe and look at other news channels, where people are sitting behind their desks and giving out their opinions about what’s happening, there’s a network that’s actually on the ground with journalists wearing bulletproof vests or helmets that are doing what journalism does best, which is fight for the truth in dangerous areas,” stated Zaslav, an executive at NBC News, before taking over at Discovery.
He said, “It’s an proud moment for us watch what’s happening there.”
