CNN President Chris Licht speaks to Warner Bros. Discovery
CNN will follow a different path from the “extremes” that dominate the cable news industry, new President Chris Licht told Warner Bros. Discovery on Wednesday.
Licht spoke at the presentation with Warner Bros. CEO. Discovery David Zaslav, praising the journalism created by the network – especially in Ukraine – and outlining their visions for CNN and its role in the newly formed media conglomerate.
Zaslav explained that CNN would be organized “to advocate for journalism first” and would provide an audience “seeking more accurate information and fewer shouts and conflicts.”
Licht offered similar aspirations as he outlined CNN’s intention to double what you would call reasonable news.
“Now the next chapter of CNN is the one in which we strive to be a beacon for the kind of journalism that is essential to a functioning democracy,” Licht said. “At a time when extremes dominate cable news, we will strive to take a different path – reflecting the real lives of our viewers and elevating the way America and the world view this medium.”
He also vowed to “challenge the traditional philosophy of cable news by providing programs and commentaries that challenge the status quo, shatter group thinking, make our leaders on both sides of the road accountable, and fight fearlessly to get to the truth.” . ”
Licht also said that the network will seek to “rethink” the New Day morning show, which struggles with ratings, with a view to the challenge of morning broadcasts for a large audience.
“I will be honest: we strive to be a destroyer of the morning broadcasts in this space and we believe we can do it,” he said.
Licht also announced Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace ?, an interview program with Chris Wallace that launched on the ill-fated streaming platform CNN +, will be targeted at HBO Max and will air on CNN’s linear network on Sunday night.
Beyond the collapse of CNN + and the struggle with lineup ratings, Licht is still collecting tracks from the chaotic removal of longtime CNN boss Jeff Zucker.
Zucker’s departure marks the end of a turbulent year for CNN, which also saw the network go from huge high ratings to alarmingly low. The network also lost its top-ranked presenter Chris Cuomo amid a scandal over his role in helping his brother, then-Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), respond to allegations of sexual misconduct – as well as one of his own.
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