Chris Licht Departs CNN Following Turbulent Tenure

CNN Worldwide is in the midst of a major shakeup as Chris Licht steps down as chairman and CEO. Licht’s departure comes after a controversial town hall with former President Donald Trump and a scathing profile in The Atlantic. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced the news to CNN staff, saying that a search for a new CEO is underway. In the meantime, top executives Amy Entelis, Eric Sherling, and Virginia Moseley will run editorial, joined by David Leavy as COO. Licht had only been with the network for just over a year, during which time he oversaw the shutdown of CNN+ and presided over layoffs. Despite his efforts to revitalize the network’s programming, ratings continued to fall, and staff loyalty waned. Zaslav took responsibility for the situation, saying that Licht’s departure was due to things not working out as hoped.