Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Vanity Fair - Jeff Zucker looking to leave CNN
Works for me!!
And “antagonizing trump”?? Uhhhh
“THEY DO NOT WANT TO SEE HIM GO”: AFTER REMAKING CNN AND ANTAGONIZING TRUMP, JEFF ZUCKER EYES THE EXITS
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/11/after-remaking-cnn-and-antagonizing-trump-jeff-zucker-eyes-the-exits
The timetable still hasn’t been confirmed, but there’s talk in the upper ranks of WarnerMedia that Zucker is expected to leave CNN in the first quarter of 2021, according to someone familiar with the matter. It wouldn’t happen before the inauguration, sources said, and one person close to Zucker cautioned that nothing’s a done deal and “a final decision has not been made.” Zucker has more than a year left on his current contract, I can confirm. He last re-signed late in the spring of 2018, as I reported at the time, in a deal that locked him in through the election. (CNN declined to comment.)
Zucker’s departure would bring the curtain down on an exhilarating eight-year run that not only revived the network but turned CNN into one of the central characters in the Trump saga. Zucker and the outgoing president have a long history dating back to their time together at NBC, where Zucker famously greenlit The Apprentice. Zucker and CNN drew criticism for lavishing Trump with outsize attention during his 2016 campaign, but as the chaos of the Trump White House took hold, CNN became one of the administration’s most aggressive chroniclers, putting the network in the crosshairs of the MAGA faithful. Trump was seen as meddling in AT&T’s acquisition of CNN’s parent company, now called WarnerMedia, and while the network gave a platform to various administration loyalists, it also came to be seen as Trumpworld’s Enemy of the People No. 1. At the same time, the Trump news cycle has been a veritable gold rush for CNN, giving the network a huge ratings boost and elevating many of its anchors, correspondents, and contributors to new heights of prominence. During the week of November 3, CNN’s viewership topped the cable and broadcast news networks for election coverage.
A lot of that air may begin to leak out of the balloon once the anticipated normalcy of the Biden White House sets in, which would make this a reasonable time for Zucker to take a bow. But if the sunset of the 45th presidency has anything to do with his expected departure, so too may the internal machinations of WarnerMedia. There’s reportedly been friction between Zucker and Jason Kilar, who was named CEO of WarnerMedia in April. As the Journal reported, and my sources confirmed, Zucker was blindsided by a recent restructuring in which he lost oversight of CNN’s financial, human resources, and communications departments. Sources told me Zucker was given less than a day’s notice about the change before it took effect. (Kilar, meanwhile, has tamped down rumors that CNN might be hitting the sale block.)
“People really love Jeff and they do not want to see him go,” a CNN journalist told me. “I think a lot of people will be devastated if he does leave the network, and are concerned that you won’t be able to find someone with his leadership style to fill that role.” Another CNN staffer was more blunt: “Jason Kilar has no idea what’s about to walk out the door.”
Zucker’s departure would bring the curtain down on an exhilarating eight-year run that not only revived the network but turned CNN into one of the central characters in the Trump saga. Zucker and the outgoing president have a long history dating back to their time together at NBC, where Zucker famously greenlit The Apprentice. Zucker and CNN drew criticism for lavishing Trump with outsize attention during his 2016 campaign, but as the chaos of the Trump White House took hold, CNN became one of the administration’s most aggressive chroniclers, putting the network in the crosshairs of the MAGA faithful. Trump was seen as meddling in AT&T’s acquisition of CNN’s parent company, now called WarnerMedia, and while the network gave a platform to various administration loyalists, it also came to be seen as Trumpworld’s Enemy of the People No. 1. At the same time, the Trump news cycle has been a veritable gold rush for CNN, giving the network a huge ratings boost and elevating many of its anchors, correspondents, and contributors to new heights of prominence. During the week of November 3, CNN’s viewership topped the cable and broadcast news networks for election coverage.
A lot of that air may begin to leak out of the balloon once the anticipated normalcy of the Biden White House sets in, which would make this a reasonable time for Zucker to take a bow. But if the sunset of the 45th presidency has anything to do with his expected departure, so too may the internal machinations of WarnerMedia. There’s reportedly been friction between Zucker and Jason Kilar, who was named CEO of WarnerMedia in April. As the Journal reported, and my sources confirmed, Zucker was blindsided by a recent restructuring in which he lost oversight of CNN’s financial, human resources, and communications departments. Sources told me Zucker was given less than a day’s notice about the change before it took effect. (Kilar, meanwhile, has tamped down rumors that CNN might be hitting the sale block.)
“People really love Jeff and they do not want to see him go,” a CNN journalist told me. “I think a lot of people will be devastated if he does leave the network, and are concerned that you won’t be able to find someone with his leadership style to fill that role.” Another CNN staffer was more blunt: “Jason Kilar has no idea what’s about to walk out the door.”
6 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
