NEW YORK CITY, USA – CNN‘s Chairman Chris Licht has left the network after a tumultuous 13-month tenure filled with controversy and operational challenges.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, by David Zaslav, Chief Executive of CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, who met with Licht regarding his immediate departure.
Licht’s stint at CNN was marked by multiple setbacks, starting with overseeing the closure of CNN+’s costly streaming service, a decision that led to a significant number of layoffs and raised skepticism about the network’s commitment to digital products.
Zaslav, while reflecting on Licht’s departure, stated, “For a number of reasons, things didn’t work out, and that’s unfortunate. It’s really unfortunate, and ultimately that’s on me. And I take full responsibility for that.”
Licht, formerly an executive producer of Stephen Colbert’s top-rated late-night show, had taken on the CNN role with the promise of bringing a balanced perspective to CNN’s journalism, describing it as a “calling.”
His tenure, however, saw the network’s ratings decline significantly and his programming decisions met with much criticism.
Several programming missteps, including an unsuccessful morning show co-anchored by Don Lemon and a controversial town hall featuring former President Donald Trump, failed to shore up support among his colleagues and audience.
CNN’s financial performance under Licht’s watch also saw a significant drop, with the network generating $750 million in profit last year, down from $1.25 billion the year before.
In the interim period following Licht’s departure, CNN veterans Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley, Eric Sherling, and newly appointed Chief Operating Officer David Leavy will assume leadership roles until a permanent replacement is found.
The exit of Licht marks the latest episode in a period of upheaval for CNN, which had previously seen the firing of prime-time anchor Chris Cuomo amid an ethics scandal and the departure of longtime Chief Executive Jeff Zucker over an undisclosed relationship with a colleague.
