In an effort to restore morale and calm anxiety, Mr. Licht assured CNN employees at a network-wide town hall meeting on May 5 that Warner Bros. But even he had his limits. [24], In late 2022, Licht received criticism as CNN terminated the contracts of several long-time correspondents including Brian Stelter, John Harwood and Jeffrey Toobin. Its great., CNN would be lucky to get you, Mr. Colbert continued. Discovery didnt anticipate further job cuts at CNN because there was no overlap between the news network and Discoverys cable channels, and thus there wasnt anyone else doing the same jobs that would need to be cut. Related:Andy Jassy Amazon CEO, Leadership Style, Age, Wife, Salary, Net worth, Licht experienced a brain hemorrhage while driving in Washington, D.C., on April 28, 2010, narrowly escaping death. And in recent days, CNN's new leader has made moves that he says will return the cable channel closer to its news-driven roots. 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.. A chorus of media pundits has pounced on every tidbit of bad news. Chris Licht Political Views Licht appears to be taking a neutral stand in matters of politics. He oversaw the program as it won praise from critics for its discussions with prominent figures in the news and analysis of major news events. He's a senior New York Police Department official who also has a strong history in news. Its worrisome that were being told how to talk about one of the worst things that ever happened to American democracy, one source told Mediaite. I got out of news, and Im not going back, Mr. Licht had insisted. AILSA CHANG, HOST: This week brought news of. 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 . She works as an anchor and reporter at KTLA in Los Angeles. Benjamin Mullin and Michael M. Grynbaum contributed reporting. A CNN open to treating the GOP fairly would have to moderate that coverage. The age-old media industry questionhow to cover presidential candidate Donald Trumphas become more complicated. He visited Capitol Hill in July and held meetings with key Democrats and Republicans. Simpson trial. And there are questions about what that's going to look like. And he also promises, without specifying, he says CNN's got to be more entertaining and better TV. [3][31][32], As of 2017, he lived in Manhattan with his wife, Jenny Blanco and their two sons. 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. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Rian Johnson, Halle Berry, and More Share Their Inspiration, From the Archive:Who Stole the Oscars? [28], On April 28, 2010, Licht suffered a near-fatal cerebral hemorrhage while driving in Washington, D.C. Harwood was talking live on the air about the very same Biden speech. But still, a new poll suggests Republican voters are mostly in favor of Trump. Licht graduated with a bachelors degree in broadcast journalism and political science from Syracuse Universitys S.I. (2001), Listen toVFsLittle Gold MenPodcast for Unrivaled Awards-Season Coverage, 2023 Cond Nast. 1 news brand in the world, and the most trusted brand in news where people go every day and in a crisis for the best version of the truth., And more than that: This is important for America. But rather than stand by Stelter and his work shining a spotlight on the dangerous propaganda being pushed by Republican politicians and conservative media, Licht reportedly wants the network to. Last week, in fact, media reports suggested that Licht was trying to lure his old colleague Joe Scarborough to CNN. (They later married. Can the Republican hold on to the political movement he helped build? 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 the same ones. But that's not what we're talking about. He was selected to take over this role after the former president of CNN, Jeff Zucker resigned abruptly. The next two years will be yet another test as to whether cable news has learned anything since 2016. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. If the numbers turn, then theyll have to make a decision.. However, some staffers reportedly view it as a direct order from the boss while others have taken issue with Lichts suggestion. In 2005, he moved to NBCs sibling network, MSNBC, soon becoming an executive producer for Morning Joe, which he helped develop into an improbable success in its hotly competitive morning time slot. New CNN boss Chris Licht reportedly nudged producers to avoid describing former President Donald Trumps claims that the 2020 election was stolen as the big lie a move that comes as top brass drive a shift toward neutral news coverage. In a series of additional town hall meetings, most of them leaked almost immediately to The New York Times and other news outlets, Mr. Licht also laid the groundwork for the networks shift to broader, less political and less partisan coverage. Notably, the two hosts, the former Republican politician Joe Scarborough and the more liberal former CBS correspondent Mika Brzezinski, straddled the political divide. Who is Kristina Partsinevelos? Beginning in the fall, the network on Sunday evenings will air the show from former Fox News anchor Chris Wallace that was on the ill-fated CNN+. This is a calling, Mr. Licht countered. 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. Whats happening at CNN is not isolated. (Zucker abruptly resigned as network president earlier this year due to his failure to disclose a romantic relationship with a colleague. First and foremost, we should, and we will be advocates for truth. It has to be compelling and entertaining without hurting the news brand, he said, citing his former boss Mr. Colbert, and Mr. Stewart as the kind of people whod work, while acknowledging that Mr. Stewart is already locked into a lucrative contract at Apple TV. He most recently worked at CBS, where he was Executive Vice President of Special Programming since May 2016. Ad Choices. Donald Trump during the Republican presidential debate on March 10, 2016 in Coral Gables, Florida. Contact info; Agent info; Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Thats why Im here. The change is we will not do Trump 24/7 or let him dictate our agenda.. As part of this effort, he has advised against overusing Breaking News banners in CNNs live coverage and spurned the networks infamous partisan debate panels. The CNN president suggested that shows should instead refer to Trumps disproven claims as Trump election lie or election lies. Licht asserted that using the phrase the big lie essentially parroted the Democratic Partys branding and hurt CNNs objectivity when covering the topic. At which point Mr. Colbert stopped trying to dissuade him: I cant negotiate with a calling.. To vocal criticism from the left, he hired Stephen Gutowski, founder and editor of The Reload, a firearms website. Maggie Vespa is an American broadcast journalist. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. John Malone, a major shareholder in CNNs new owner, Warners Bros Discovery, said that he would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with, and actually have journalists. With Warner facing pressure from Wall Street to find $3 billion in savings, on April 21, Mr. Licht killed the streaming service after less than a month on air. Because it will be brutal, Mr. Zaslav said. August 1, 2022 CNN's new CEO, Chris Licht, has been attending to an audience neglected by the network for the past several years: Republican lawmakers. More significantly, Mr. Licht noted, This Morning has broken news, including the chief Washington correspondent Jake Tappers scoop that Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona was leaving the Democratic Party to become an Independent. We're brought up to believe there's two different political parties with different points of view, and we don't take sides in honest disagreements between them. We are truth-tellers, focused on informing, not alarming our viewers, Licht said in another memo obtained by Axios. View All 893 Images. Licht was the producer of that show before he later went on to produce The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Beforerelocating to Los Angeles, sheworked as theentertainment reporter for Fox News Channel, where she contributed to a variety of shows for FoxNews.com. We are not going to be a 24/7 Trump news network.. Copyright 2022 NPR. 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 . In addition, Licht has directed CNN producers to dial down the networks use of networks use of breaking news bannersduring live coverage a tactic that was embraced under Zuckers watch. The tenor of our voice holistically has to reflect that, Licht added. [17] As executive producer, he focused on management issues that host Stephen Colbert had previously handled, as well as shortening the opening credits and adding a comedy sketch immediately before them. And I think there are a lot of questions about the morning shows. This was not, he stressed repeatedly, a move to the center, a boring, political neutral zone that Mr. Licht wasnt even sure existed. But the episode encapsulated, I think, the tension between the CNN that's been and the CNN that's evolving. Licht says there's nothing wrong with what John Harwood was doing. Rian Johnson, Halle Berry, and More Share Their Inspiration, From the Archive:Who Stole the Oscars? But at its peak, CNN digital generated only about 10 percent of the networks profits, Mr. Licht confirmed. But cable news, along with all cable channels, has been in secular decline, troubled by shifting viewer habits in an era of cord cutting and an exodus to streaming services and online news sites. If he wins reelection in November, Iowas longest-serving senator would be 95 years old by the end of another term. 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. We've received your submission. He declined to be more specific but promised surprises. View contact info at IMDbPro. Chris Licht took over as the new CEO of CNN and has found it even harder than he initially thought to make significant changes to the first 24/7 news network. All rights reserved. The new CNN boss has also made it a priority to connect with prominent figures in both major political parties. Of late, Brianna Keilar, who had been known for doing these long videos kind of breaking down and eviscerating Donald Trump's falsehoods and lies, you know, recently has spent a lot of time lately going after President Biden for his address last week in Philadelphia, in which he termed the MAGA wing of the Republican Party a threat to American democracy. Related:Suzanne Scott FOX News CEO, Husband, Age, Political Party, Salary, Net worth. Hungary and the Nordic Countries: Five Ways the Darlings of the American Right and Left Might Not Be So Different After All, Woke Norweigans Try to Replace Christian Holidays With Liberal Festivities, Why J6 Transparency Frightens the Democrats, The Naming Commission Strikes the Naval Academy, The Democrat War on Election Integrity Continues. And nothing about that has changed. 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 . A ccording to the Washington Free Beacon, Chris Licht, CNN's relatively new president, is seeking to repair his network's relationship with the GOP. I love the collaboration. One such strategy requires CNN only refer to news as "breaking news" when they are really important. Licht, whose appointment may be announced by Discovery Inc . POLITICO previously reported that hed met earlier this year with White House chief of staff Ron Klain, as well as prominent Republicans on Capitol Hill including House minority leader Kevin McCarthy. The experience inspired him to write a book titled, What I Learned When I Almost Died.. During the 2016 electionand even afterZucker was often dismissive of critics who said CNN, more than its cable rivals, gave Trump outsized attention. By announcing the need for more layoffs on Oct. 26, he said he hoped to engage in a transparent process that would leave everyone feeling theyd been heard. (2001), Listen toVFsLittle Gold MenPodcast for Unrivaled Awards-Season Coverage. All rights reserved. Licht also dispensed with the services of media critic and host Brian Stelter. CNN CEO Chris Licht said the "vitriol" aimed at him over changes at the network has been "stunning." In an interview with The NYT, Licht said he wanted CNN journalists to be seen as "truth tellers . 00:03. Licht is married to Jenny Blanco. "I think anyone who doesnt see that, or argues with that, is just wrong. Every Saturday, Mr. Licht sends Mr. Zaslav a memo with highlights of the week and programming and financial updates. Puck also reported that Licht is eying other major changes, and that anchors like Jim Acosta and Brianna Keilar could be on the chopping block. And over time, that's going to improve ratings, too. Many more millions would be needed. 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. But the network has pushed back on suggestions that Licht was specifically trying to curry favor with. Simon Guobadia is a Nigerian entrepreneur, restauranteur and philanthropist. Veteran CBS executive Chris Licht is expected to be named as CNN's next president, according to a person with knowledge of the decision. 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