David C. Leavy Takes on Role of COO at CNN Worldwide

CNN has made a big move by appointing David C. Leavy, a top executive at Warner Bros. Discovery, as its new COO. Leavy, who has been with Discovery and its successor Warner Bros. Discovery for 23 years, will oversee commercial, operational, and promotional activities across the network. This is a strategic move for CNN, which has seen its ratings drop in the year since Discovery took control of WarnerMedia. CNN Worldwide CEO Chris Licht’s strategy has been to focus more on the network’s newsgathering, rather than opinion personalities, and he’s been in the midst of retooling the nighttime lineup. With Leavy on board, Licht can focus on programming and content decisions, while Leavy brings his energy, work ethic, and collaborative style to the network. Leavy’s appointment was announced during the network’s morning editorial call on Thursday, and Licht said in a statement that Leavy’s “is a strategic, versatile and dynamic executive who will work with myself and the senior leadership team to help transform our business as we get the full programming slate on the air, build out our digital future and grow the CNN brand around the world.” Before the Warner Media merger, Leavy served as chief corporate affairs officer for Discovery Inc. and played key roles in the launch of Discovery+, the agreement to acquire Scripps Networks Interactive in 2018, and the company’s listing on NASDAQ in 2008, as well as Discovery and Europsport’s agreement for the rights to the Olympic Games across Europe. This is an exciting time for CNN, and we can’t wait to see what Leavy brings to the table. More to come.