CNN boss Chris Licht slammed liberals for criticizing his move to make CNN less partisan, saying it only makes him more confident about his decisions. 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. Chris Licht came over after stints at CBS where he oversaw the Colbert "Late Show." (He said he appreciates but doesnt really believe Mr. Zaslavs professed indifference to financial results.) You said this was so much nicer 12 weeks off, good pay, laugh for an hour every night. On one side is the view that this is politics and it should be covered aggressively. CHANG: OK. So tell us, who is CNN's new CEO and chairman Chris Licht, and how does he want to reshape CNN exactly? He has acknowledged the desire to change Republicans unfavorable opinions of CNN. As a child, hed created a fictional TV news network, WBC, and produced his own newscast using a VCR camera in his basement in Newtown, Conn. Mr. Licht moved to CBS in 2010, where hed scored another early morning success. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. By all accounts, Mr. Lichts presentation was warmly received by directors, including Mr. Malone. Still, Lichts remarks reportedly have upset some employees at the network ahead of a highly anticipated CNN town hall on Thursday. Mr. Licht has looked to Mr. Zaslav as a mentor, and Mr. Zaslav has admired Mr. Lichts work ethic and drive. In February, CNN's average total day . 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. Miller most recently served as the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counterterrorism. 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 . He made the rounds with Republicans as well as Democrats on Capitol Hill and at the Biden White House, making this case about how he sees CNN. Among the reforms, Licht directed network anchors and producers to stop using the phrase "The Big Lie" to describe attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 election - in part because it's a. Since then, he and Mr. Colbert have spoken nearly every Friday. Mr. Licht told him he had no interest in running it. Maggie Vespa is an American broadcast journalist. Earlier this year, DirecTV, one of the largest US pay-TV providers, announced it would drop One America News Network, the conservative channel criticized for spreading misinformation. Chris Licht is a well-known American television newsman and producer. 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 fact, Mr. Zaslav said in an interview that he never considered anyone else for the job. 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. If so, it would appear that he is the wrong man to do it. Photo by Sean Zanni via Getty Dylan Byers May 11, 2022 Licht is 51 years old. Mr. Licht seemed to have TV news in his DNA. He is also known for having launched Morning Joe on MSNBC, and the reboot of CBS This Morning. I was obsessed, Mr. Licht said. Oh, man, you used to be in news, remember? Mr. Colbert recalled telling him. As a reporter and producer, he covered a mass shooting in San Bernardino, the plane crash that killed John F. Kennedy Jr., two presidential campaigns and three Olympics. At which point Mr. Colbert stopped trying to dissuade him: I cant negotiate with a calling.. [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. 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+. 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. Among the casualties were familiar commentators like Chris Cillizza, key behind-the-scenes producers with decades of experience, and the entirety of HLN, CNNs sister network, and its popular morning host, Robin Meade. But it wont have anyone on who says its sunny out. During his month-plus tenure, Licht has emphasized that CNN scale back the blaring headlines and take a nonpartisan approach to the news, as noted by my colleague Joe Pompeo. Lemon, which were widely viewed as sexist and insensitive, had left him "disappointed." After long absences, several Republicans have since appeared on CNN, including Mr. McCarthy and Senator Rick Scott of Florida. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. 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. There is a huge split within journalism and within newsrooms about how to respond to this moment, said Kyle Pope, editor and publisher of Columbia Journalism Review. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. 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. [5][6][7] In 2014, one of the TV news control rooms at Syracuse's Dick Clark Studios and Alan Gerry Center for Media Innovation was named in his honor. Weve been friends for 15 years, Mr. Zaslav said. I think we can be a beacon in regaining that trust by being an organization that exemplifies the best characteristics in journalism: fearlessly speaking truth to power, challenging the status quo, questioning group-think and educating viewers and readers with straightforward facts and insightful commentary, while always being respectful of differing viewpoints. He also suggested that CNNs producers refer to Trumps debunked voter fraud claims as the Trump election lie or election lies in banners and graphics. He is best known as the showrunner and executive producer of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, as well as CBS 's executive vice president of special programming. It was overused and consumers are exhausted from it.. But at its peak, CNN digital generated only about 10 percent of the networks profits, Mr. Licht confirmed. Mr. Licht said he was under no illusion that stepping into the chief executive job would be easy or make him popular. One such strategy requires CNN only refer to news as breaking news when they are really important. 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. Theres Always a Risk With Him of Being Trolled: A Donald Trump 2024 Bid Will Test If the Medias Learned Anything Since 2016, As news outlets turn toward Mar-a-Lago this week for a very big announcement, journalists talked to, Republicans Are Terrified Trump Will Win the GOP Nomination and Lose to Biden. Thats why I took this job. The two men have known each other for 15 years, since both were working at NBC, where Mr. Zaslav helped start MSNBC. He plays golf frequently in his leisure time. Wallace, whose show will also be moved to HBO Max, is also helping cover some of the January 6 hearings. Licht had real success creating "Morning Joe" over at MSNBC, creating what is now "CBS Mornings" as a reformulated show there. FOLKENFLIK: Sure. I think the frontrunner always merits the most amount of attention. But whatever changes Licht makes, it wont fool the GOP base who rightly see the network as a permanent annex of the Democratic Party. Everyone is really nice; you can say anything you want, and nobody leaks it. It was a good time reset. [33] Jenny worked at CNN for several years as a producer for Anderson Cooper and then as a director of talent recruiting and development. 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 . New CNN Chairman and CEO Chris Licht has been making headlines for his moves to change the network's reputation for being hostile to former President Donald Trump. Fox and MSNBC were advocacy networks, as Mr. Zaslav put it, a proven business model appealing to like-minded viewers but of scant, if any, value as a public service. Almost immediately, their shared vision of saving democracy ran into the harsh reality of cable news economics. (You can unsubscribe anytime). Reliably lousy: Brian Stelter's CNN show draws lowest rati Jay Leno reveals his unbelievable new face three months after car fire, Sunny Hostin Points Finger at China for COVID Crisis: Did Not Cooperate With the International Community, Good luck 'worming' your way out of this one, Kanye West and 'wife' Bianca Censori look surprisingly happy on dinner date, Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave. The Base? The two men continued the conversation on a long walk in Central Park. And he said that Biden was right in arguing that the MAGA part of the Republican Party was a threat to American democracy. 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 got out of news, and Im not going back, Mr. Licht had insisted. 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. Miklos Sarvary, a professor and director of the media and technology program at Columbia Business School, said that entertainment was potentially more profitable than low-margin news. This success occurred partly because Licht allowed the show's hosts Gayle King, Charlie Rose, and Norah O'Donnell, to talk freely about news events and about themselves. On Feb. 28, Mr. Licht was named CNNs new chief executive. Rian Johnson, Halle Berry, and More Share Their Inspiration, From the Archive:Who Stole the Oscars? A new trove of leaked emails between Trump lawyer John Eastman and Justice Clarence Thomas' wife, and with Trump insiders, raises more questions about the Supreme Court's proximity to the plans to overturn the 2020 election result. After having a brain aneurysm in 2010 when he was still under 40, Mr. Licht wrote a book about what he learned from the experience, while still describing himself as a killer TV producer with no urge to surrender my spot in the fast lane, even after the near-fatal incident. Its not clear anyone could surmount those challenges, let alone someone whod just spent nearly six years at a late-night entertainment show and had never managed a complex, globe-spanning organization with thousands of employees. Restless after six years at This Morning, in 2016 he joined the then-faltering CBS program Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Within a year, Mr. Colbert had seized the late-night ratings crown from Jimmy Fallon of NBCs Tonight Show.. CNNs attempt to reach an audience lying somewhere in a mythological political center may not be easy to manage. We have to call lies, lies, whether theyre small lies or big lies. Chris Licht CNN Net Worth, Political Views, Parents, Wife, Health, Kristina Partsinevelos CNBC Husband, Age, Ethnicity, Salary, Net Worth, Rick Karle WVTM 13 Bio, Age, Height, Net Worth, Family, Wife, WBRC, Anchor, Salary, Anita Vogel (Fox News) Bio, Net Worth, Husband, Age, Height and Salary, Maggie Vespa NBC News Salary, Age, Height, Husband, Net Worth, Courtney Friel KTLA, Bio, Age, Salary, Ex Husband, Wedding, Kids, Net worth, Simon Guobadia Net Worth, Age, Height, Wife, Kids, Cars, Ethnicity. Mr. Licht seemed to have TV news in his DNA. Chris Licht became CNN's chairman and CEO in May. Before joining the Fox News Channel, Vogel worked as a reporter and fill-in anchor for KCRA-TV (NCB 3) in Sacramento. We are truth-tellers, focused on informing, not alarming our viewers, Licht said in another memo obtained by Axios. 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. 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. He generates a sustainable livelihood from his career as the CEO of CNN. On Feb. 28, Mr. Licht was named CNN's new chief executive. 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. Zaslav called Licht . 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. Trumps Relationship With Jared and Ivanka. Watch and see. He's a senior New York Police Department official who also has a strong history in news. 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. [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. He most recently worked at CBS, where he was Executive Vice President of Special Programming since May 2016. Benjamin Mullin and Michael M. Grynbaum contributed reporting. One source called the idea of Jeff Zucker making a bid for the network "beyond fantasy.". In July, Mr. Licht made a highly symbolic pilgrimage to Capitol Hill noteworthy for its inclusion of Republicans like the House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, and Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas. Its worrisome that were being told how to talk about one of the worst things that ever happened to American democracy, a source described as a CNN insider told the outlet. This is not vanilla, centrist or boring, he added. [28], On April 28, 2010, Licht suffered a near-fatal cerebral hemorrhage while driving in Washington, D.C. 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. Maybe its not about partisanship, but theyre just not responding to a crisis every day. Required fields are marked *. Read Edit View history Christopher Andrew Licht (born October 22, 1971) [2] is an American television newsman and producer. We've received your submission. First and foremost, we should, and we will be advocates for truth. These are not honest disagreements. By almost any measure, he has had a rough start. I have to win that credibility back, he acknowledged. The network boss camped out in mid-July. I'm curious, does Harwood's departure fit into this bigger story? Some at CNN felt Mr. Zucker had been unfairly sacrificed and remained staunchly loyal to their former boss. Mr. Licht said the firings were the low point of his tenure so far. 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. Each time, Mr. Colbert begins with the same four words: "I told you . Chris Licht, chief executive of CNN, told advertisers last month,. The CNN CEO is bringing on a former top official for the NYPD who famously landed an Osama bin Laden interview while at ABC. Chris Licht, the new CNN chairman, is encouraging a more nuanced approach to 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 the same ones. Trust me. The couple married in 2006 and they have been together ever since. Courtney Friel is an American broadcast journalist. On the other, that democracy and a free press is under existential threat, and coverage has to be more muscular and forceful. Since May 2022, he has been the chairman and CEO of CNN. 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. 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. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Anchors who cant adjust to CNNs directional shift could be forced out. Your jobs have meaning. 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. 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. In an internal memo last month, Licht urged employees to be advocates for truth and stated that too many people have lost trust in the news media. He continued: I think we can be a beacon in regaining that trust by being an organization that exemplifies the best characteristics in journalism: fearlessly speaking truth to power, challenging the status quo, questioning group-think, and educating viewers and readers with straightforward facts and insightful commentary, while always being respectful of differing viewpoints., Vanity Fairs 2023 Hollywood Issue Welcomes You to the After-Party of Our Dreams, Inside the New Rights Next Frontier:The American West, The Strange, Sexually Charged Genesis of Gloria Swansons Legendary Memoir, The One Thingthe Royal Family Never Travels Without: Blood, NetflixsMurdaugh Murders Team Say Theyve Uncovered New Crimes, Trumps Relationship With Jared and Ivanka Is About to Get a Lot More Awkward, The Cringey Sexcapades of a Horny Billionaire, What Is Cinema? Under new chief Chris Licht, CNN will dial down the prime-time partisanship and double down on the network's news-gathering muscle, top sources tell me. However, some staffers reportedly view it as a direct order from the boss while others have taken issue with Lichts suggestion. After weeks of pushing out some of its highest profile personalities, CNNs new boss has made his first big on-air hires. 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.. [25] The Washington Post described the moves "as the latest evidence of a shift to a less politically charged tone under new leader Chris Licht. . Thats why Im here. Last week, in fact, media reports suggested that Licht was trying to lure his old colleague Joe Scarborough to CNN. Although he spent equal time with Democratic leaders like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Mr. Licht was irritated that his visit was billed as an apology tour and effort to coax Republicans back onto the network part of CNNs perceived move to the right. 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. Whether by design or happenstance, he believed CNN had tacked left, a pale version of MSNBC that nonetheless alienated wide parts of the American electorate with a focus on politics and the president at the time, Mr. Trump. (Zucker abruptly resigned as network president earlier this year due to his failure to disclose a romantic relationship with a colleague. If he were to put strong Republicans on the air, his hosts would revolt. Wallace said the committee had put itself in danger of too much hype about its findings. She works as a Correspondent for NBC News. 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, and an emphasis on news and in-depth interviews, rather than the lighter fare format of its competitors Today and Good Morning America.. (They later married. (2001), Listen toVFsLittle Gold MenPodcast for Unrivaled Awards-Season Coverage. Its so much fun., This Morning debuted on Nov. 1. The list includes media correspondent Brian Stelter, whose show Reliable Sources was canceled last month, as well as legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin and political correspondent John Harwood. Licht was the producer of that show before he later went on to produce The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. And for more on that, we have NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who's taking over CNN. This week brought news of the death of CNN founding anchor Bernard Shaw, known for pursuing the news and avoiding flash. Rumors have been circulating this week that more outspoken left-leaning anchors and contributors at CNN could soon be dropped. Hes a fighter, and he likes to win, Mr. Zaslav said. Not So Much. CNN remained enviably profitable, earning over $1 billion a year for the past five years. [23] Licht has expressed a desire to change negative perceptions of CNN among Republicans. Simpson trial, he quickly established himself as a competent producer. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Chris Licht, who took over leadership of CNN Worldwide last month, wants to rein in the use of the " breaking news " banner. Is Secession the Answer to American Disunity? With Fox News and MSNBC having already staked out the right and left ends of the political spectrum, attracting the middle (what Mr. Licht referred to as normal people) has proved elusive. Rather, it was an attempt to explore controversial issues from varied perspectives not to tell people what to think, as he put it, but how to think, or what he called a blueprint for how to make decisions.. Whats happening at CNN is not isolated. (Since then, the show has gained slightly among total viewers.). Or will it collapse around him? Similarly, the outspoken progressive anchor Don Lemon broke with orthodoxy by asking plainly if Joe Biden, turning 80 in November, had the stamina, physically and mentally, to continue on even after 2024. You are part of something bigger, of something with tremendous meaning. ), Mr. Licht moved to CBS in 2010, where hed scored another early morning success. But the episode encapsulated, I think, the tension between the CNN that's been and the CNN that's evolving. 00:03. 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. . On a subsequent phone call, Mr. Zaslav urged Mr. Licht to think about CNN and whether hed be interested in the top job. Inside Politics will remain at noon-1 PM ET, . I love the collaboration. The next two years will be yet another test as to whether cable news has learned anything since 2016. In all likelihood, Licht is only reaching out to disgruntled Republicans who do not represent the views and feelings of grassroots conservatives. In that capacity, he gave advice on various types of material for several network departments. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. In March 2016, Zucker reportedly claimed the media had been doing too much handwringing over how Trump is covered. But Id rather try to win this way.. Soon after the Warner-Discovery deal was announced, Mr. Zaslav summoned Mr. Licht to Discoverys headquarters in Manhattan on 19th Street and asked what he thought of CNN. News is supposed to be serious. Read More Maggie Vespa NBC News Salary, Age, Height, Husband, Net WorthContinue. He argued he could make CNN a news channel that people trusted, as opposed to one that monetized partisan combat. CNN's new CEO Chris Licht is looking for a slam dunk and he hopes . Is there any lie bigger than that lie?. But that's not what we're talking about. FOLKENFLIK: Well, let's pause and play a little clip from earlier in the day, on the same day that John Harwood announced he was going to depart CNN. Which [Jeff] Zucker regretted, Swisher noted, referring to Lichts predecessor, who famously gave Trump wall-to-wall coveragefrom broadcasting rallies to regularly letting him call in to news programsduring his first bid. But still, a new poll suggests Republican voters are mostly in favor of Trump. Is Chris Licht, CNNs President, Really Reaching Out to the GOP? Your email address will not be published. Read More Rick Karle WVTM 13 Bio, Age, Height, Net Worth, Family, Wife, WBRC, Anchor, SalaryContinue, Who is Anita Vogel? It sounds implausible given his liberal background. Thats a little bit like asking why The New York Times has had more stories about Hillary than anyone else." During the 2016 electionand even afterZucker was often dismissive of critics who said CNN, more than its cable rivals, gave Trump outsized attention. We're going to get back to our roots. NBC shifted Licht to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2001, where he was a crucial member of the transition team for the networks acquisition of KNTV. massage tool with 38.5 million views is reduced . Which proves my point: so much of what passes for news is name-calling, half-truths and desperation.. 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. The article has been corrected.

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