CNN's Mark Thompson Considered For Return To BBC

Mark Thompson

Media insiders are buzzing about Mark Thompson – the former director-general of the broadcaster who now serves as CNN's CEO – as a top contender to return and steer the organization through its latest crisis, according to a report in The Status newsletter published Tuesday.

The speculation, first detailed in the industry-focused publication's weekly roundup, comes as the BBC reels from a high-stakes $1 billion legal threat by U.S. President Donald Trump over an editing blunder in an October 2024 documentary. Trump's lawyers demanded a full retraction by last Friday, citing "overwhelming financial and reputational harm," though the error – which misrepresented a key interview clip – went largely unnoticed during the original airing. 

The broadcaster's board held an emergency session on Wednesday, November 12, but sources say no public statement is forthcoming, leaving staff and stakeholders in limbo.

Thompson, 68, who led the BBC from 2004 to 2012, is no stranger to navigating scandals. Thompson earned praise for modernizing the BBC's digital presence and expanding its global reach, including during the 2012 London Olympics coverage. He jumped to The New York Times as president and CEO in 2012, where he oversaw a digital pivot that boosted subscriptions amid print declines, before taking the helm at CNN in 2023.

At CNN, Thompson has been tasked with reversing ratings slumps and countering perceptions of bias – issues that now eerily mirror the BBC's woes. Under his watch, CNN launched a streaming service and experimented with AI-driven personalization, but critics argue the network still struggles with audience trust in a polarized media landscape. 

"Thompson's got the scars from BBC battles and the blueprint from NYT's turnaround," one anonymous media executive told The Status. "If anyone's equipped to handle Trump's bully tactics and internal morale dips, it's him."