Chris Licht has stepped down as CEO of CNN, the global news network’s parent company confirmed Wednesday.
Gatekeepers News reports that David Zaslav, CEO of CNN parent company Warners Bros, said CNN “will be conducting a wide search, internally and externally, for a new leader.”
Discovery, told staff in a memo sent Wednesday. In the meantime, a four-person committee of CNN executives will serve as its interim leadership, Zaslav said.
Licht was named to manage the famed 24-hour news organisation, following the merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia, which includes CNN, HBO, and other significant media firms.
He took over as CNN’s CEO last year (2022), succeeding Jeff Zucker, with a mandate to pull the network closer to the political centre. However, a town hall meeting with Donald Trump drew much criticism, and a makeover of the network’s morning show exploded with the departure of host Don Lemon.
Among other things, Licht has taken the heat for the network’s decision to air a town hall meeting with former Republican President Trump, who is vying for re-election.
During the show, Trump reiterated claims about his 2020 election loss, stated that if elected, he would pardon many supporters convicted of participating in a January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, and referred to CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins as a “nasty person.”
The four-person committee named as temporary leadership team includes; Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley, Eric Sherling, and David Leavy. They will operate the network while a replacement is sought.
“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 wrote in a memo to CNN employees.
“I have known Chris for many years and have enormous respect for him, personally and professionally. This job was never going to be easy, especially at a time of great disruption and transformation, and Chris poured his heart and soul into it.
“Unfortunately, things did not work out the way we had hoped, and ultimately that’s on me. I take responsibility,” he added.
