Chris Licht, the new president of CNN, is settling into one of the most challenging jobs in news, and questions abound regarding how he will guide the network out of the extreme turmoil it has. CNNs ratings declined, on average, this year compared with 2021, according to Nielsen, with CNN falling behind MSNBC for the first time in prime time on election night among total viewers. Exclusive: Inside the S--tshow That Was the Trump-Biden Transition. I want CNN to be essential to society, Mr. Licht said in one of our interviews. We have to call lies, lies, whether theyre small lies or big lies. If Lichts idea of mending fences with the GOP is putting Jonah Goldberg on the air more, he is clearly not serious. Daily updates from Washington, Wall Street, and Silicon Valley. In a memo to employees on Thursday, Licht wrote . The two men have known each other for 15 years, since both were working at NBC, where Mr. Zaslav helped start MSNBC. At another all-staff meeting this month, aimed at restoring morale, Mr. Licht took questions and then ended with a passage he wrote himself: In terms of morale, let me just say, you work at a world-renowned news organization alongside the best journalists on the globe. Which, again, echoes what new CNN boss Chris Licht has been telling employees he wants to do with his network to remove the perception, which he thinks is accurate, that CNN has a liberal. He's a senior New York Police Department official who also has a strong history in news. [12][13] Licht was the executive producer of CBS This Morning starting when the show launched in 2012, and later joined The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2016. Mr. Trump repeatedly branded CNN as fake news, and his administration engaged in open warfare with CNN correspondents like Jim Acosta, whom Mr. Trump once called a rude, terrible person during a news conference. CNN was plenty biased back then, but at least hosts like Bernard Shaw made some effort to feign neutrality. He was named to the post in April 2022. Lemon, which were widely viewed as sexist and insensitive, had left him "disappointed." The article has been corrected. During Tuesdays call, Licht also announced another high-profile hire from CBS News, telling staff that Dr. Tara Narula would be joining as a medical correspondent for the network. As if four years of cruelty, corruption, and incompetenceplus a coup attemptwerent enough, the former president wants Americans to put him back in the White House in 2024. If he wins reelection in November, Iowas longest-serving senator would be 95 years old by the end of another term. CNNs attempt to reach an audience lying somewhere in a mythological political center may not be easy to manage. New CNN boss Chris Licht reportedly nudged producers to avoid describing former President Donald Trump's claims that the 2020 election was stolen as "the big lie" - a move that comes as top. So tell us, who is CNN's new CEO and chairman Chris Licht, and how does he want to reshape CNN exactly? He's promising in this incarnation at CNN that he's going to make the channel less opinion driven, less perhaps focused on Donald Trump as the one true story that they really rode during the Trump era. Is your family ready for this? Why it matters: Ratings are secondary to credibility, in the view of Warner Bros. In a statement to all workers that he delivered on his first day as CNNs chairman and CEO, Licht lamented that unfortunately, too many people have lost faith in the news industry.. In August, Mr. Licht moved Mr. Tapper from his 4 p.m. anchor position to the coveted 9 p.m. slot that had been vacated by Chris Cuomo after CNN fired him for what it deemed inappropriate efforts to help his brother, New Yorks former governor, Andrew Cuomo, fend off the sexual harassment allegations that led to his resignation from office. Benjamin Mullin and Michael M. Grynbaum contributed reporting. Mr. Lichts growth strategy is focused on CNN.com, which attracts more than 200 million unique visitors each month, according to CNN. It's not clear any outlet has perfected the formula to cover a twice-impeached, insurrection-inciting, 2020 election-denying, subject of several state and federal investigations running for a second term in the White House. Political Cartoons. Over the next several weeks, he kept making the case to Mr. Licht. On Feb. 28, Mr. Licht was named CNNs new chief executive. CNN staffers are upset over buzz that Chris Licht plans to hire Charles Barkley. Mr. Licht has barely begun to put his stamp on the networks programming, but its already evident in the new morning show, CNN This Morning. Mr. Licht picked the hosts, persuading the left-leaning Don Lemon to trade his prime-time slot for early morning, and pairing him with the former Daily Caller reporter and CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow, a former host of CNN Newsroom. The show takes a somewhat similar approach to the one he used at CBS This Morning (which also shares a near-identical name). A month before the election, he acknowledged that airing so many Trump rallies in full was a mistake, but continued to defend the cable networks coverage in the following months after Trump had won. Read More Maggie Vespa NBC News Salary, Age, Height, Husband, Net WorthContinue. His bosses recognize that the model of 24/7 liberal programming has failed spectacularly and that the network needs to revive the pseudo-objectivity of the Ted Turner years. "The uninformed vitriol . CNNs revenue and profits have plunged to a projected $750 million this year, down from $1.25 billion last year, partly from the costs associated with CNN+, the network acknowledged. This was not, he stressed repeatedly, a move to the center, a boring, political neutral zone that Mr. Licht wasnt even sure existed. Contact info; Agent info; Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Read More Courtney Friel KTLA, Bio, Age, Salary, Ex Husband, Wedding, Kids, Net worthContinue. The hires come as Licht has begun to assert his vision for the network that moves it away from its editorial posture of the last few years. ), Mr. Licht moved to CBS in 2010, where hed scored another early morning success. Licht says he's not going to pull any punches, doesn't mean that they're going to stop reporting. That has manifested itself in the departure of well-known figures regarded as harshly critical of former President Donald Trump. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. They have two sons together. Licht is also reportedly monitoring CNNs top anchors including personalities such as Brian Stelter and Jim Acosta to see if they can adhere to the networks new emphasis on less partisan coverage. But, he said, it would be irresponsible not to do the tough work now. He added, I promise you CNN will be more profitable next year.. But the larger point may be that audiences are no longer as engaged by US domestic politics as they were during the Trump administration when most news organizations grew their audiences significantly. Mr. Lichts vision is contending with industrywide pressures to cut costs. CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker will be replaced with TV producer Chris Licht, Puck first reported Saturday. A CNN open to treating the GOP fairly would have to moderate that coverage. In his most substantial interview since taking over CNN, the CEO talked about mistakes in Trump coverageincluding those made by his predecessor Jeff Zuckerand how he plans to avoid making . Discovery Inc. has tapped producer Chris Licht to lead CNN after it takes over the cable-news channel, according to people familiar with the matter, turning to a veteran news and late-night TV . Rian Johnson, Halle Berry, and More Share Their Inspiration, From the Archive:Who Stole the Oscars? After college at Syracuse University, Mr. Licht landed jobs at NBC affiliates in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The American Way Versus the Politicians Way. Chris Lichts reported guidance to staff comes amid broader efforts to move beyond the Jeff Zucker era. There are a lot of signs of news fatigue and people are switching off, says Pope. I was obsessed, Mr. Licht said. Lemon was trolled on Twitter, but won the praise of Fox Newss Sean Hannity. Chris Licht's Master Plan Comes Into View Sure, an adult-table bastion of centrist upscale cable news sounds fantastic, especially since Fox News and MSNBC have totally abdicated the middle. [23] Licht has expressed a desire to change negative perceptions of CNN among Republicans. Let's not forget that they just took over Time Warner and CNN recently. He generates a sustainable livelihood from his career as the CEO of CNN. The Republican Donor Class Seems Ready to Dump Trump. The experience inspired him to write a book titled, What I Learned When I Almost Died.. Inside Politics will remain at noon-1 PM ET, . Ive worked closely with Chris Licht and share his editorial vision: speed, but not at the expense of accuracy, passion but not at the expense of objectivity, Miller said in a statement shared with POLITICO. He is well known as the husband of actress Porsha Williams. If the numbers turn, then theyll have to make a decision.. She works as a Correspondent for NBC News. In an all-staff meeting in November, Mr. Licht said he stood by his earlier remark that there would be no merger-related layoffs, and I absolutely would not have said something that I did not believe to be true. But he said he understood how his remarks had hurt his credibility. Newhouse School of Public Communication. If so, it would appear that he is the wrong. Discovery chief David Zaslav has reportedly zeroed in on the replacement for former CNN President Jeff Zucker, and it will be Chris Licht, as first reported by Puck News' Dylan Byers.. Licht's hiring was expected to come at a special Discovery shareholders meeting March 11, but CNN is expected to make the announcement next week, according to CNN's Brian Stelter. But at its peak, CNN digital generated only about 10 percent of the networks profits, Mr. Licht confirmed. On Friday, Bloomberg reported that Licht was considering seeking brands to sponsor segments on CNN shows. Im not sure that putting on a comedian is a great move for credibility., Mr. Licht said he understood Mr. Sarvarys point, but said prime time offered some leeway for being a little different.. He will report to David Zaslav, who will lead the merged Warner Bros.-Discovery, with a deal expected to close by early in the spring . CHANG: OK. Licht co-created Morning Joe on MSNBC and served as its first executive producer before joining CBS. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. I'm curious, does Harwood's departure fit into this bigger story? Thats why Im here. A few months later, high-profile departures and arrivals may signal how he will lead the network. He recognized that it would take years to reposition and rebuild the network. According to a swath of US media reports, CNN has entered high gear in a reformist effort to phase out overt political partisanship, reduce the frequency of breaking news alerts, dissuade non-primetime anchors from airing their views, and broadly to avoid presenting the extremes of political thought of either side, left or right. You said this was so much nicer 12 weeks off, good pay, laugh for an hour every night. He helped to interview Osama bin Laden in the late '90s, but has been focused on counterterrorism in recent years and has been the source of some criticism from Muslim groups for that. He lifted ratings at the perennial also-ran CBS This Morning on the strength of the programs three hosts, Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Norah ODonnell. At the end of November, Mr. Licht levied another round of job cuts this time just under 10 percent of CNNs work force of about 4,000, which plunged morale further. (He said he appreciates but doesnt really believe Mr. Zaslavs professed indifference to financial results.) During Tuesdays call, Licht also announced another high-profile hire from CBS News, telling staff that Dr. Tara Narula would be joining as a medical correspondent for the network. . Who is Kristina Partsinevelos? The networks chief executive knew the job would not be easy. Mr. Licht said he was under no illusion that stepping into the chief executive job would be easy or make him popular. Chris Licht, the producer who created "Morning Joe," revamped "CBS This Morning" and revitalized "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," has been selected to run CNN once Discovery merges with . Two examples have been coverage of the abortion debate in the wake of the Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade, and the debate over gun rights. Copyright 2022 NPR. Anchors who cant adjust to CNNs directional shift could be forced out. Trust me. Donald Trump during the Republican presidential debate on March 10, 2016 in Coral Gables, Florida. During a call with staff Tuesday morning, CEO Chris Licht announced that John Miller would be joining CNN as the networks Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst. In September 2015when CNNs Republican presidential debate shattered its ratings recordhe suggested CNNs focus on the then-GOP frontrunner was warranted because he was the story of the past three months. He plays golf frequently in his leisure time. Rupert Murdoch Colluded With Jared Kushner to Try to Throw the 2020 Election to Trump Because Of Course He Did, Trump Claims Ron DeSantis Gets Off on Killing Old People in Wheelchairs. It happened to fit where CNN was going and they really embraced it., The success of Lichts reconfiguration, Pekary says, will depend on whether the bills get paid. Who is Maggie Vespa? Its an innovation, the outlet said, that comes from a montage of headlines called the Eye Opener on CBS This Morning. Over the course of the subsequent seven years at KNBC, he advanced to the position of special projects producer, oversaw the stations Olympic coverage, and eventually created Channel 4 News at 11.. 00:44. Mr. Licht has looked to Mr. Zaslav as a mentor, and Mr. Zaslav has admired Mr. Lichts work ethic and drive. The announcement comes as Trumps lies about the 2020 election, and incitement of the Capitol mob, are front and center at the January 6 hearings airing on CNN and other major networks. Chris Licht Political Views Licht appears to be taking a neutral stand in matters of politics. He came to WVTM from WBEC where he worked as the sports anchor at 6, 9, and 10 pm. Before joining the Fox News Channel, Vogel worked as a reporter and fill-in anchor for KCRA-TV (NCB 3) in Sacramento. Trumps Relationship With Jared and Ivanka. [26] As CBS This Morning's executive producer, he was co-nominated for three Emmy Awards in 2015: one for Outstanding Investigative Journalism in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast, one for Outstanding Feature Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast, and one for Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast. /*
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