Chris Licht is stepping down as the chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, ending a tumultuous tenure as the first leader of the network under parent Warner Bros. Discovery.
Licht’s departure comes after a bombshell profile in The Atlantic infuriated staffers, already upset over the way that a recent town hall with President Donald Trump was handled.
The network had no immediate comment. Puck first reported on Licht’s exit, and CNN soon reported on his exit.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav told staffers in CNN’s morning call that Licht was leaving and that a search was on for a new CEO. “It didn’t work out,” he said.
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In a memo to staffers, Zaslav wrote, “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. 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. I take responsibility.”
Amy Entelis, Eric Sherling and Virginia Moseley will run editorial for the time being, Zaslav said, and they will be joined by David Leavy. Leavy, a top aide to Zaslav, was named COO of CNN last week, leading to speculation that Licht’s time at the network was short.
Licht has been with the network for just over a year, having had a series of successes in helping to launch Morning Joe on MSNBC, revitalize CBS’s morning show and then take the reins of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which overtook The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in the ratings.
But CNN’s ratings continued to fall during his tenure. An attempt to revitalize the morning show has sputtered with the forced pairing of Don Lemon, Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow. Lemon eventually was fired by Licht.
Zaslav’s memo announcing Licht’s exit is below:
All,
This morning we are announcing that Chris Licht will be leaving CNN and we will be conducting a wide search, internally and externally, for a new leader. I wanted you to hear this news directly from me as it impacts you and your teams.
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. 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. I take responsibility. Needless to say, we appreciate Chris’ efforts and dedication and wish him all the best.
We have put in place a solid transition plan with the appointment of an acting leadership team made up of experienced programming executives… Amy Entelis, EVP, Talent & Content Development, Virginia Moseley, EVP, Editorial, and Eric Sherling, EVP, U.S. Programming, along with David Leavy, COO, on the commercial side. We have great confidence in this group and will fully support them until a new CEO is named. We are in good hands, allowing us to take the time we need to run a thoughtful and thorough search for a new leader. I recognize that changes like this can be stressful and appreciate your continued patience as we move through this process.
You’ve heard me say it many times: CNN has the greatest journalists in the world… we are deeply committed to supporting them and the critical work that CNN does every day. We must get this right – and we will!
David
More to come.
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