Chris Licht, a former television producer who oversaw a short and tumultuous run as president of CNN, is no longer with the network.
On CNN Mr. Licht’s 13-month run was marked by one controversy after another, and he left earlier this week. He got off to a bumpy start even before it officially launched, when he oversaw the shutdown of the expensive CNN+ streaming service at the request of its network’s new owners, who were skeptical about a standalone digital product. The cuts resulted in numerous layoffs.
David Zaslau, chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent, told employees Wednesday morning that he had Mr. He said he had met Licht and he was leaving immediately.
“Things didn’t work out for a number of reasons, which is unfortunate,” said Mr. Zaslav said according to a recording of his comments. “It’s really unfortunate and ultimately it’s on me. I take full responsibility for that.
“This work is never going to be easy, especially in times of great disruption and change,” he continued. “Chris poured his heart and soul into this job. Like you, he’s been in the line of fire, and he’s had a lot of success. We appreciate his efforts, his passion, his love for journalism and his love for this business.
Mr. Zaslav said. The process could take several months, he said.
Mr. Mr. When Licht accepted the job, he told friends it was a “calling.”
The work will be very difficult. Mr. Ratings plummeted during Licht’s administration and a series of programming missteps — including a poor morning show co-hosted by Dan Lemon, as well as former President Donald J. Includes a town hall arrangement featuring Trump. He is less likely to find favor with his peers.
The situation worsened last week Atlantic Publishing a 15,000-word profile, Mr. Licht’s tumultuous period was extensively documented, including a critique of the network’s pandemic coverage that rankled the network’s rank-and-file.
And worse things are CNN’s financial performance. The network posted a profit of $750 million last year, including one-time losses from the CNN+ streaming service, up from $1.25 billion a year earlier.
Pg As reported earlier Mr. Licht is leaving CNN.
This is a growing story. Check back for updates.
