CNN names former BBC and New York Times executive Mark Thompson as new leader

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Former BBC and New York Times executive, Mark Thompson, has been designated as the new leader for CNN, a decision made in an effort to reverse the trajectory of a news organization that has faced turbulence over the last two years, marked by the departure of two leaders and a decline in viewership.

The appointment of Mark Thompson as Chair and CEO of CNN comes from David Zaslav, the head of Warner Bros. Discovery, the network’s parent company. This announcement was unveiled on Wednesday, signaling the end of Chris Licht’s tenure, who was dismissed in June, along with a temporary four-member team that had been overseeing CNN.

Mark Thompson, who concluded his role as President and CEO of The New York Times in 2020 after eight years, is recognized for his instrumental role in reshaping the company into a digital-centric entity that relies more on paid subscribers than the dwindling advertising market that has plagued numerous newspapers. Thompson, originally from England, held the position of Director-General at the BBC from 2004 to 2012.

Licht’s departure followed a tumultuous 13 months where CNN lost significant ground to both Fox News and MSNBC in terms of popularity, with opinionated news resonating more among viewers during a time of intense political polarization. Licht had advocated for CNN to adopt a more moderate stance and leverage its capacity for gathering news.

His downfall was further hastened by a critical profile published in The Atlantic magazine, revealing his struggle to foster connections with numerous employees who remained loyal to his predecessor, Jeff Zucker. Zucker had been compelled to step down in February 2022 due to his failure to disclose a romantic relationship with another executive within the network.

In addition to declining ratings, CNN’s financial performance has taken a hit, with the network’s profits dwindling from $1.08 billion in 2020 to $892 million in 2022, as reported by S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Shortly after Licht’s appointment to his role, CNN’s new parent company decided to discontinue a high-profile streaming service that had barely been operational for a few weeks. This month, the network unveiled that CNN news content would now be integrated into its Max streaming service.

CNN also parted ways with two prominent prime-time hosts over the past couple of years: Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon. The latter departure was precipitated by an unsuccessful transition to a new morning show.

During Licht’s tenure, a stable prime-time lineup was never solidified. The temporary leadership team, comprised of Amy Entelis, David Leavy, Virginia Moseley, and Eric Sherling, recently formulated a new lineup that introduced Kaitlan Collins, Abby Phillip, and Laura Coates to weeknight roles, while seasoned journalists Christiane Amanpour and Chris Wallace assumed new weekend hosting duties.

News of Thompson’s selection was initially reported by Puck on Tuesday evening.

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More about Leadership Transition

• Mark Thompson: From BBC to NYT
• Chris Licht’s Departure from CNN
• CNN’s Financial Performance
• CNN’s Streaming Service Changes
• CNN’s Prime-Time Host Changes
• Interim Leadership Team at CNN
• The Atlantic Profile on Chris Licht