With Zucker Gone: CNN Staffers Should Be 'Nervous'

CNN’s Brian Stelter discussed the future of the network with The New Yorker writer, Ken Auletta who suggested caution with new leadership, amid Former Head of CNN, Jeff Zucker’s resignation, reports Mediaite.

Zucker announced his shocking resignation on Wednesday, after admitting to a romantic relationship with Allison Gollust, a top executive at CNN, which he failed to disclose and violated corporate policy.

Last year, AT&T announced its intention to combine WarnerMedia and Discovery under a merger deal. Auletta invoked the statements from David Zaslav, Chief Executive Officer of Discovery Communications, who earlier this week commented on the abrupt resignation.

The New Yorker writer said that Zucker “and Zaslav are close friends. Not polite friends, they’re close friends,” in reference to Zaslav’s expressed appreciation for Zucker in his public statements.

Auletta continued by mentioning John Malone, billionaire media mogul, who holds stake in the merger, “Ted Turner considered John Malone his top investor and advocate, so he felt that John Malone was actually behind him and behind the newscast that CNN had created.”

However, Auletta continued, “If I was at CNN and I was an employee and I loved working under Jeff Zucker for understandable reasons I would be concerned.”

“And if you watch CNN, the anchors are much more animated with opinions than they were when Ted Turner started the network,” The New Yorker writer added.

“True,” Stelter concurred.

“So I would be a little nervous if I was at CNN, yes,” concluded Auletta.

John Malone is the CEO of Liberty Media, Discovery's largest shareholder. He retains a 25 percent voting share in Discovery, which will take control of WarnerMedia and its assets -  including CNN - later this year.  

With Jeff Zucker gone, that seems more likely than ever.