Mark Thompson is stepping in as the subsequent CEO and chairman of CNN.
Parent firm Warner Bros. Discovery mentioned Wednesday it appointed Thompson as the subsequent chief of the cable news community, a couple of quick months after the ouster of Chris Licht.
Thompson beforehand served as CEO and president of The New York Times from 2012 to 2020, in addition to director-general of the BBC from 2004 to 2012. Thompson’s first day on the CNN workplace will likely be Oct. 9, he instructed CNN staffers in a memo.
“I am confident he is exactly the leader we need to take the helm of CNN at this pivotal time,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav instructed employees in a word Wednesday. “Big thanks to all of you for your patience, commitment, and hard work. Simply stated: the real strength of CNN is its people, and you continue to set the highest standard in all that you do.”
The appointment of Thompson, a 40-year news veteran who was lately knighted for his companies in media, happens simply because the presidential marketing campaign cycle within the U.S. accelerates.
Thompson takes the reins of CNN as cord-cutting has ramped up for the standard TV bundle and rankings have lagged behind different cable news rivals. Last week, Warner Bros. Discovery introduced it might add CNN to its Max streaming service starting Sept. 27. It will function the community’s reply to streaming as a 24/7 stay news hub.
“As everyone knows, TV journalism is approaching peak disruption. We face pressure from every direction – structural, political, cultural, you name it. Like many other media organizations, CNN has recently felt some of the uncertainty and heartache that comes with all of that,” Thompson wrote to CNN employees. “There’s no magic wand that I or anyone else can wield to make this disruption go away. But what I can say is that where others see threat, I see opportunity – especially given CNN’s great brand and the strength of its journalism.”
His hiring additionally follows what has been a tumultuous time for the cable news community, particularly for its management.
In early 2022, longtime chief Jeff Zucker resigned after failing to reveal a romantic relationship with a high-ranking colleague – who additionally as soon as served as communications director to ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Zucker’s resignation got here as a shock to staffers. Shortly after, prime time host Chris Cuomo was fired after CNN mentioned it obtained new details about his controversial function in advising his brother.
Soon after Zucker stepped down, CNN’s guardian firm possession modified arms with the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery. Prior to closing the deal, Zaslav had appointed Licht as CNN’s CEO, who was beforehand the chief govt behind the “CBS This Morning” news program and “Morning Joe” on MSNBC. At the time, Zaslav referred to as Licht a “dynamic and creative producer, an engaging and thoughtful journalist, and a true news person.”
One of Licht’s first strikes was the swift closure of CNN+, the cable news community’s then-newly launched streaming platform that was failing to garner viewership in its early days.
Licht’s time at CNN was quick, nonetheless. In June, Licht departed CNN after main the community for little greater than a 12 months that included a sequence of programming missteps and rock-bottom rankings. He had additionally drew criticism within the weeks earlier than his ouster after CNN hosted a city corridor with Donald Trump that was full of tons of followers who cheered on the previous president as he pushed election lies and insulted host Kaitlan Collins.
Shortly after, The Atlantic revealed an unflattering 15,000-word profile of Licht titled “Inside the Meltdown at CNN,” which possible sealed his destiny. Although Licht apologized to CNN staffers it wasn’t sufficient and his departure was introduced within the ensuing days.
While community executives Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley, Eric Sherling and David Leavy led CNN since Licht left CNN, Warner Bros. Discovery brass looked for a substitute for the management function.
Read Zaslav’s memo to employees:
All,
I needed to inform you first that we’ll be welcoming a brand new chief for CNN Worldwide. Shortly, we’ll announce that extremely revered news govt Mark Thompson will likely be becoming a member of our management workforce as Chairman and CEO, efficient October 9, reporting on to me. Mark has been within the news business for greater than 4 a long time and, as lots of you might be conscious, he has an distinctive track-record of innovation and excellence. I’m assured he’s precisely the chief we have to take the helm of CNN at this pivotal time.
I’ll share extra about Mark in a second. But earlier than I do, I wish to say that I acknowledge change shouldn’t be simple, and I do know you’ve got been by way of quite a lot of it. Big due to all of you on your persistence, dedication, and exhausting work. Simply acknowledged: the actual power of CNN is its folks, and also you proceed to set the very best customary in all that you simply do.
I wish to give a particular due to Amy, David, Virginia and Eric for the distinctive job they’ve accomplished main CNN and shifting the business ahead throughout this interim interval. They pulled collectively as a workforce and actually delivered, and I’m personally grateful for his or her exhausting work and sacrifices, as they added important tasks on prime of their substantial purposeful roles. I do know they will be an enormous assist to Mark when he comes on board.
Mark has led and remodeled two of the world’s most revered news organizations. Most lately, he served as president and CEO of The New York Times from 2012-2020, constructing the corporate right into a digital-subscription powerhouse. In reality, below his management, the Times elevated its paid digital subscriptions tenfold and greater than doubled its whole digital revenues.
Before that, Mark served as director-general of the BBC from 2004-2012, the place he presided over one of many world’s greatest newsrooms in addition to scores of nationwide and worldwide TV and radio companies and in depth international digital news belongings. He led the event of the BBC iPlayer, the world’s first streaming service from a serious broadcaster, expanded internet and smartphone companies from news to schooling to leisure, and oversaw protection of the most important occasions of the time from the worldwide monetary disaster of 2008-09 to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Before changing into a senior govt, Mark was a working researcher, director, subject producer and award-winning showrunner within the BBC’s news division.
I’ve lengthy admired Mark’s transformative management and his capability to encourage organizations to boost their very own ambitions and sense of what is doable… and obtain it. I’ve spent quite a lot of time speaking with him over the previous few weeks and could not be extra excited for all that is in retailer.
Please be a part of me in welcoming Mark to the workforce!
David
Read Thompson’s word to CNN staffers:
Dear all,
No doubt you’ve got heard the news and skim David Zaslav’s message confirming that I’m to be CNN’s subsequent Chairman and CEO. I simply needed so as to add a couple of phrases of my very own.
I am unable to inform you how happy and proud I’m to be becoming a member of you after so a few years of watching – and envying – your work from the skin. Over the a long time, I’ve ran into CNN groups on story after story from Washington, DC to Tiananmen Square. Two months in the past I spent a day watching CNN’s spell-binding protection of the Wagner insurrection, and I watched and skim our main rivals too. That day confirmed an previous reality to me: when it issues most, CNN is the very best place to search out out what’s taking place. You at all times rise to the event.
As everybody is aware of, TV journalism is approaching peak disruption. We face strain from each route – structural, political, cultural, you title it. Like many different media organizations, CNN has lately felt among the uncertainty and heartache that comes with all of that. There’s no magic wand that I or anybody else can wield to make this disruption go away. But what I can say is that the place others see risk, I see alternative – particularly given CNN’s nice model and the power of its journalism. I’ve spent many of the previous twenty years determining with colleagues at among the world’s different nice news operations not simply tips on how to survive the revolution, however to thrive in it and acquire new audiences and income streams. I purpose to do the identical at CNN. It will not be myplan that wins the day however our plan, the plan we devise and implement collectively. Which is why, significantly within the early weeks, you may discover me doing much more listening and studying than holding forth.
I wish to add my private due to the interim management workforce. Amy, David, Virginia and Eric have accomplished a terrific job steering the ship over the previous couple of months and I sit up for working with them.
My first official day within the workplace is 9 October however I’m planning to pop in a couple of occasions earlier than then. So in case you see a tall determine with an English accent and a loud snicker, you may know who it’s.
All the very best,
Mark
Source: www.cnbc.com