CNN CEO bows out after turbulent 16-month tenure

AP Photo/Mike Stewart

CNN's CEO, Chris Licht, announced his exit from the network on Wednesday, after a challenging stint of 16 months at the helm. His departure followed discussions with David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, and comes just over a year after he was handpicked for the position.

Filling the leadership vacuum for now, a triumvirate, including veteran CNN executive Amy Entelis, will take over the reins. Entelis had previously worked closely with Jeff Zucker, the former cable news chief who stepped down in February 2022, CNN reported.

Zaslav expressed regret at the situation, stating, “For a number of reasons, things didn’t pan out as expected, and that's regrettable. Ultimately, the buck stops with me, and I accept full responsibility."

He further informed employees that the hunt for a new leader, likely to be an extensive one, is already underway.

Licht's time at CNN was rife with hurdles from the get-go. A major setback came when the network's ambitious streaming service, launched under his leadership, fizzled out within a month of going live, mustering less than 10,000 daily users. Moreover, the network's primetime ratings performance faltered, and Licht faced disapproval from his own team.

Among the significant changes he implemented, renowned journalist Brian Stelter and host Don Lemon were shown the door. The boiling point came in May, when CNN held a town hall with former President Donald Trump, drawing sharp criticism from left-leaning critics for granting Trump airtime. This move irked politicians and media figures, from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Joe Scarborough, given CNN's history of favorable coverage towards Democrats.

Adding to Licht's woes, last week, The Atlantic unleashed a scathing 15,000-word exposé titled "Inside the Meltdown at CNN," which reportedly incensed executives at Warner Bros. Discovery.

Despite the upheavals, Zaslav praised Licht in a news release, saying, “I have immense respect for Chris, both personally and professionally. Leading CNN was always going to be a formidable task, given the times of drastic disruption and change, and Chris gave it his all. While we face the challenge of finding a new leader, we have absolute faith in our existing team and will continue to champion CNN and its world-class journalism."