According to a report, Mark Thompson, former head of both the BBC and the New York Times, was recently chosen as CNN’s new chief executive officer by Warner Bros. Discovery.
Thompson took over for Chris Licht, who resigned in June following a difficult year at the head that included the closure of the CNN+ streaming service nearly a month after its introduction and the distress over a town hall featuring former President Donald Trump.
Warner Bros. Discovery is replacing Licht, previously a TV producer of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and “The Late Show,” with Thompson, an executive with extensive experience.
According to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Mark is a pioneer who has changed the New York Times to fit the digital era.
The newly announced 24/7 news service CNN Max, which will be accessible on Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming platform, is expected to be a major emphasis for the incoming CEO.
To set itself apart from CNN+, which focused on lifestyle programming, CNN Max is emphasizing the speed and in-depth analysis of breaking news.
According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, CNN’s profit is forecast to be $939 million, which is a little increase over last year but still below $1 billion. These projections apply to all CNN channels broadcast in the United States, including CNN International and CNN en Español.
According to Nielsen statistics, CNN’s viewership in June was lower than that of Fox News and even MSNBC.
Meanwhile, Chris Licht’s appearance at Manhattan’s Polo Bar with Nancy Pelosi hours after he was fired as CNN CEO after a year in the position surprised media watchers in June.
A rumor from July claims that he and long-shot presidential contender and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie had dinner in the Theater District.
It was reported that Licht and his family spent the remainder of the summer in the African bush, where he took the opportunity to do some activities with his kids.
