CNN’s Programming Chief Michael Bass Is Set to Exit

Michael Bass, CNN’s programming chief and a longtime ally of former President Jeff Zucker, is set to leave the network at the end of the year, CNN said.

The Wall Street Journal reports Chris Licht, CNN’s chairman and chief executive, wrote in an email to the company Monday that Mr. Bass decided to leave CNN after steering it through turbulent times. Mr. Licht didn’t say why Mr. Bass made the decision.

Michael Bass

Bass, the executive vice president of programming for CNN U.S., joined the network nearly a decade ago. He has overseen most of the network’s live programs and elections coverage.

He also helped create a number of new shows and overhauled legacy programs, Mr. Licht said.

Bass worked with Mr. Zucker for years until the network’s long-serving president resigned in February after failing to disclose a relationship with a colleague. Before joining CNN, the pair had both worked at NBC, where Mr. Bass was a producer and Mr. Zucker’s second in command.

Bass stayed at CNN as its leadership ranks were upended in recent months. Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., took ownership of CNN from AT&T Inc. earlier this year, prompting a leadership reshuffle and new content decisions. The company shut down CNN’s new streaming service, CNN+, about a month after it launched. It had invested $300 million in the streaming service but it failed to attract many subscribers.

Licht said CNN was launching a search for Mr. Bass’s replacement.