A ccording to the Washington Free Beacon, Chris Licht, CNN's relatively new president, is seeking to repair his network's relationship with the GOP. [14][15][16] A month after he was named executive producer and showrunner of The Late Show, the show saw its largest weekly audience since February 19 of that year. Menu. Most recently, Licht. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. However, not much is known about his family and background. Is there any lie bigger than that lie?. On Oct. 13, Mr. Licht made his debut in front of Warner Brothers Discoverys board at a hotel in Los Angeles, where he outlined both his growth and content strategy. It happened to fit where CNN was going and they really embraced it., The success of Lichts reconfiguration, Pekary says, will depend on whether the bills get paid. CNN is one example of a bigger battle thats going to come to a head in the coverage of the midterms and immediately after.. Mr. Zaslav ignored the demurral. Its important for a functioning society.. Another reason to be suspicious of Lichts supposed apology tour is that most of his hosts suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome. The shift at CNN, says Ariana Pekary, CJR public editor for the network, has come under cover, so to speak, of the war in Ukraine. Of late, Brianna Keilar, who had been known for doing these long videos kind of breaking down and eviscerating Donald Trump's falsehoods and lies, you know, recently has spent a lot of time lately going after President Biden for his address last week in Philadelphia, in which he termed the MAGA wing of the Republican Party a threat to American democracy. ), One-hundred percent. The article has been corrected. Chris became the successor after the abrupt resignation of CNN president Jeff Zucker in February 2022. The tenor of our voice holistically has to reflect that, Licht added. And over time, that's going to improve ratings, too. The personal health crisis was a defining. Political Cartoons. Licht, whose appointment may be announced by Discovery Inc . And for more on that, we have NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik. Who is Simon Guobadia? At one point, Mr. Zaslav simply asked, Whos your lawyer? and started acting like Mr. Licht was CNNs future chief executive. Chris Licht is a well-known American television newsman and producer. He's promising in this incarnation at CNN that he's going to make the channel less opinion driven, less perhaps focused on Donald Trump as the one true story that they really rode during the Trump era. Your jobs have an impact. Soon after the Warner-Discovery deal was announced, Mr. Zaslav summoned Mr. Licht to Discoverys headquarters in Manhattan on 19th Street and asked what he thought of CNN. A contract ensued. Mr. Licht said he doesnt recall Mr. Zaslav ever offering him the job, or his accepting it. Rumors have been circulating this week that more outspoken left-leaning anchors and contributors at CNN could soon be dropped. Hey, David. That has manifested itself in the departure of well-known figures regarded as harshly critical of former President Donald Trump. Chris Licht CNN Net Worth, Political Views, Parents, Wife, Health, Kristina Partsinevelos CNBC Husband, Age, Ethnicity, Salary, Net Worth, Rick Karle WVTM 13 Bio, Age, Height, Net Worth, Family, Wife, WBRC, Anchor, Salary, Anita Vogel (Fox News) Bio, Net Worth, Husband, Age, Height and Salary, Maggie Vespa NBC News Salary, Age, Height, Husband, Net Worth, Courtney Friel KTLA, Bio, Age, Salary, Ex Husband, Wedding, Kids, Net worth, Simon Guobadia Net Worth, Age, Height, Wife, Kids, Cars, Ethnicity. Licht is married to Jenny Blanco. A new trove of leaked emails between Trump lawyer John Eastman and Justice Clarence Thomas' wife, and with Trump insiders, raises more questions about the Supreme Court's proximity to the plans to overturn the 2020 election result. This is a calling, Mr. Licht countered. We are truth-tellers, focused on informing, not alarming our viewers, newly installed Licht wrote in a memo to employees this month, saying there needs to be room for nuance. In an internal memo last month, Licht urged employees to be advocates for truth and stated that too many people have lost trust in the news media. He continued: I think we can be a beacon in regaining that trust by being an organization that exemplifies the best characteristics in journalism: fearlessly speaking truth to power, challenging the status quo, questioning group-think, and educating viewers and readers with straightforward facts and insightful commentary, while always being respectful of differing viewpoints., Vanity Fairs 2023 Hollywood Issue Welcomes You to the After-Party of Our Dreams, Inside the New Rights Next Frontier:The American West, The Strange, Sexually Charged Genesis of Gloria Swansons Legendary Memoir, The One Thingthe Royal Family Never Travels Without: Blood, NetflixsMurdaugh Murders Team Say Theyve Uncovered New Crimes, Trumps Relationship With Jared and Ivanka Is About to Get a Lot More Awkward, The Cringey Sexcapades of a Horny Billionaire, What Is Cinema? Read More Kristina Partsinevelos CNBC Husband, Age, Ethnicity, Salary, Net WorthContinue. Mr. Licht acknowledged that prime time remains an open canvas. He said he and his colleagues were meeting and throwing things against the wall, looking at off-the-beaten path opportunities. Among the names tossed out have been entertainment, comedy and sports figures. But that is not going to happen. Newsrooms everywhere are struggling with it.. Mr. Licht told the New York Times that he was surprised by the "uninformed vitriol" from fellow liberals on his recent changes. Maybe its not about partisanship, but theyre just not responding to a crisis every day. He visited Capitol Hill in July and held meetings with key Democrats and Republicans. He made the rounds with Republicans as well as Democrats on Capitol Hill and at the Biden White House, making this case about how he sees CNN. Vanity Fairs 2023 Hollywood Issue Welcomes You to the After-Party of Our Dreams, Inside the New Rights Next Frontier:The American West, The Strange, Sexually Charged Genesis of Gloria Swansons Legendary Memoir, The One Thingthe Royal Family Never Travels Without: Blood, NetflixsMurdaugh Murders Team Say Theyve Uncovered New Crimes, Trumps Relationship With Jared and Ivanka Is About to Get a Lot More Awkward, The Cringey Sexcapades of a Horny Billionaire, What Is Cinema? "The uninformed vitriol . Who is Kristina Partsinevelos? Im not sure that putting on a comedian is a great move for credibility., Mr. Licht said he understood Mr. Sarvarys point, but said prime time offered some leeway for being a little different.. 00:03. They have two sons together. Its so much fun., This Morning debuted on Nov. 1. He has acknowledged the desire to change Republicans' unfavorable opinions of CNN. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, driving an overhaul at the left-leaning network, New York Times, MSNBC, CNN slammed for claiming COVID lab leak theory was debunked, CNN on track for smallest audience of viewers age 25 to 54 since 2014: report, Chinese lab leak likely behind COVID outbreak, US finally admits in classified report, CNN boss says network on the right path as it invites more GOP guests. Although he spent equal time with Democratic leaders like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Mr. Licht was irritated that his visit was billed as an apology tour and effort to coax Republicans back onto the network part of CNNs perceived move to the right. [23] Licht has expressed a desire to change negative perceptions of CNN among Republicans. [8], Licht began his career at KNBC in Los Angeles around the time of the O.J. In August, Mr. Licht moved Mr. Tapper from his 4 p.m. anchor position to the coveted 9 p.m. slot that had been vacated by Chris Cuomo after CNN fired him for what it deemed inappropriate efforts to help his brother, New Yorks former governor, Andrew Cuomo, fend off the sexual harassment allegations that led to his resignation from office. He is best known as the showrunner and executive producer of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, as well as CBS's executive vice president of special programming. 6 wins & 24 nominations total; Photos. Warner Bros. I think we can be a beacon in regaining that trust by being an organization that exemplifies the best characteristics in journalism: fearlessly speaking truth to power, challenging the status quo, questioning group-think and educating viewers and readers with straightforward facts and insightful commentary, while always being respectful of differing viewpoints. Let's not forget that they just took over Time Warner and CNN recently. Mr. Licht told him he had no interest in running it. Discovery, professional auto racing, tennis and now golf, Now, they arent just surviving, they are thriving. Asked about his efforts to make CNN less partisan, Mr. Licht gave this analogy: Suppose its raining outside. The networks chief executive knew the job would not be easy. Featuring hosts and guests with opposing points of view and playing up controversy has paid ratings dividends on cable in the past, notably on CNNs own Crossfire, which came under criticism for evolving into a verbal food fight criticized by the comedian Jon Stewart as hurting America., But Mr. Licht said he wasnt interested in controversy for its own sake, but to offer a rational conversation about polarizing issues. After watching CNN, he hopes people will take what theyve heard to the dinner table and have a discussion, he said. By announcing the need for more layoffs on Oct. 26, he said he hoped to engage in a transparent process that would leave everyone feeling theyd been heard. A few months later, high-profile departures and arrivals may signal how he will lead the network. Discovery Upfront 2022 show at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on May 18, 2022 in New York City. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. The threat to American democracy by a resurgent Republican party which could have Trump again vying for the White House in 2024 has not gone away. Is your family ready for this? Almost every show devolves into hysterical attacks on Trump. [20] Licht began dating her while they both were on assignment at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and they married in April 2006 at the L'Auberge Del Mar, in Del Mar, California.[1]. June 16, 2022 CNN's newly installed CEO, Chris Licht, reportedly wants to phase out the use of "the big lie" when referring to Donald Trump 's "stolen election" claims, a change that comes amid. By all accounts, Mr. Lichts presentation was warmly received by directors, including Mr. Malone. Before joining the Fox News Channel, Vogel worked as a reporter and fill-in anchor for KCRA-TV (NCB 3) in Sacramento. But still, a new poll suggests Republican voters are mostly in favor of Trump. AT&Ts board had approved an ambitious budget of $350 million for CNN+, much of it already spent by the time Mr. Licht arrived. But it wont have anyone on who says its sunny out. Earlier this year, DirecTV, one of the largest US pay-TV providers, announced it would drop One America News Network, the conservative channel criticized for spreading misinformation. In his most substantial interview since taking over CNN, the CEO talked about mistakes in Trump coverageincluding those made by his predecessor Jeff Zuckerand how he plans to avoid making . Set against a post-Trump identity crisis and a slump in viewers CNN averages 178,000 viewers in the key 25-to-54 demographic, down 63% from a year ago the reformist spirit comes as the networks net advertising revenue fell 2% last year due to lower ratings, according to S&P Global Market Intelligences Kagan. He's a senior New York Police Department official who also has a strong history in news. Theres Always a Risk With Him of Being Trolled: A Donald Trump 2024 Bid Will Test If the Medias Learned Anything Since 2016, As news outlets turn toward Mar-a-Lago this week for a very big announcement, journalists talked to, Republicans Are Terrified Trump Will Win the GOP Nomination and Lose to Biden. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. On the other, that democracy and a free press is under existential threat, and coverage has to be more muscular and forceful. This has been a passion of Discovery CEO David Zaslav and Discovery's biggest investor, John Malone. We are not going to be a 24/7 Trump news network.. They had gone through a number of PR crises, so going wall-to-wall with Ukraine was something both left and right could rally around. After watching CNN, Mr. Licht said he hoped people would take what theyve heard to the dinner table and have a discussion., Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Licht had real success creating "Morning Joe" over at MSNBC, creating what is now "CBS Mornings" as a reformulated show there. After having a brain aneurysm in 2010 when he was still under 40, Mr. Licht wrote a book about what he learned from the experience, while still describing himself as a killer TV producer with no urge to surrender my spot in the fast lane, even after the near-fatal incident. Licht did clarify that the recommendation is his preference, rather than a network-wide mandate. Photo by Sean Zanni via Getty Dylan Byers May 11, 2022 I think the frontrunner always merits the most amount of attention. NBC shifted Licht to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2001, where he was a crucial member of the transition team for the networks acquisition of KNTV. And you have in me as a leader, who has done a lot of your jobs, someone who has your back every step of the way. They say they're reformulating how they're going to cover the media. Discovery Inc. has tapped producer Chris Licht to lead CNN after it takes over the cable-news channel, according to people familiar with the matter, turning to a veteran news and late-night TV . He lifted ratings at the perennial also-ran CBS This Morning on the strength of the programs three hosts, Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Norah ODonnell, and an emphasis on news and in-depth interviews, rather than the lighter fare format of its competitors Today and Good Morning America.. This wasnt to plot a new course but to assure people we would not let up one inch in being truth tellers, he said. With Warner facing pressure from Wall Street to find $3 billion in savings, on April 21, Mr. Licht killed the streaming service after less than a month on air. Mr. Lichts presentation was warmly received by directors, including Mr. Malone of PR crises, so wall-to-wall. Make CNN less partisan, Mr. Zaslav simply asked, Whos your lawyer merits the most amount attention. Ever offering him the job would not be easy Ethnicity, Salary, Net WorthContinue, 2022 I think frontrunner! 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