Discovery CEO Commits to CNN

Discovery CEO David Zazlav on Monday committed to the future of CNN once his company completes a merger with AT&T’s WarnerMedia, The Wrap reports.

“Not only are we going to keep it,” Zaslav said in a Monday press conference with AT&T CEO John Stankey, but the new company will “lean into news.” He noted that his company already has a substantial news presence in Europe, which will be combined with CNN to create “a world leader in news.”

Earlier in the call, CNN’s chief media correspondent Brian Stelter asked about the fate of his employer, too, and was told by Zaslav — who will helm the new operation once the merger is completed in mid-2022 — that CNN’s independence will be honored and the brand will be given “the greatest editorial integrity.”

Zaslav also added that the new mega-company is committed to expanding CNN’s streaming offerings since streaming is at the heart of the new company’s content distribution plans.

The forthright commitment to CNN offered a marked contrast to AT&T’s more muted discussion of CNN’s place in the company after AT&T announced plans to acquire WarnerMedia in October 2016 — and President Trump’s Justice Department sued to block the deal — with then-AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson calling the network “the elephant in the room” in the administration’s opposition.

AT&T announced Monday that it was spinning off WarnerMedia into an independent company that will merge with Discovery Inc. and be run with Discovery CEO David Zaslav.