In a recent development, Chris Licht, the CEO of CNN, has stepped down from his position after a relatively short tenure of just over a year. Despite his efforts, the news network’s persistent struggles proved insurmountable under his leadership. The announcement of his immediate departure was officially confirmed by Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
According to Fox:
“I have great respect for Chris, personally and professionally,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said in a statement.
“The job of leading CNN was never going to be easy, especially at a time of huge disruption and transformation, and he has poured his heart and soul into it,” Zaslav continued. “While we know we have work to do as we look to identify a new leader, we have absolute confidence in the team we have in place and will continue to fight for CNN and its world class journalism.”
Licht was hand-picked by Zaslav in 2022 to replace Jeff Zucker, who was forced out ahead of a long-planned merger that put CNN under Zaslav’s control. Now Licht is out of a job after just over a year, and the future of Zaslav’s CNN remains unclear. CNN executives Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley, and Eric Sherling are expected to serve as the acting leadership team, along with new Chief Operating Officer David Leavy.
Zaslav’s longtime ally, Leavy was recently brought in as COO, which signaled to many that Licht wasn’t long for the job. Insiders told Fox News Digital this week that Licht’s departure appeared imminent.
Despite facing constant attacks from liberal media critics and enduring a tumultuous tenure plagued with internal leaks from CNN staffers, he persevered through challenging circumstances. One of his toughest decisions was to terminate the ill-fated CNN+ streaming service, a perplexing legacy of the Zucker era that garnered widespread criticism from both insiders and onlookers. Additionally, he navigated the difficult task of implementing company-ordered layoffs. Through it all, he maintained his determination, resilience, and commitment to steering CNN towards a prosperous future.
