Some of CNN’s highest-profile hosts are expressing concerns to management about Chris Licht’s ability to keep leading the network, people close to the situation said, after a series of blunders by the embattled chief executive in recent months.
The Wall Street Journal reports Jake Tapper, Erin Burnett and Anderson Cooper are among the CNN personalities who have voiced their concerns about Licht’s leadership, some explaining their views during conversations with incoming CNN Chief Operating Officer David Leavy, the people said.
Licht, who was installed as CEO a little over a year ago when Warner Bros. Discovery took control of the network, has been under fire for some of CNN’s programming decisions, including a recent town hall with former president and current Republican front-runner Donald Trump, whose format was widely criticized.
The unrest inside CNN about Licht’s leadership reached a boiling point after the Atlantic last week published an unflattering profile of him, in which he was critical of the news network and made disparaging remarks about the leadership of his predecessor Jeff Zucker, who was widely respected inside the organization.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav—who has previously voiced support for Licht—is also losing patience with the number of self-inflicted wounds and missteps, a person close to Zaslav said.
Even before the Atlantic story, there was concern about Licht’s management style. Unlike Zucker, who was a constant presence in the newsroom, Licht isolated himself on a different floor and seldom engaged with talent or producers, people at the network have said.
Licht’s tenure at CNN began on a rocky note: In April of last year—days before he officially assumed his role—he had to address CNN employees who had just learned that new parent Warner Bros. Discovery had decided to shut down the CNN+ streaming service mere weeks after it launched.
Since Licht took over, CNN’s ratings have been at historic lows.
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