Seventh time’s a charm?
Three months and four interim leaders later, CNN has finally settled on a new CEO —former New York Times and BBC exec Mark Thomspon; CNN made the announcement on Wednesday.
“There isn’t a more experienced, respected or capable executive in the news business today than Mark, and we are thrilled to have him join our team and lead CNN Worldwide into the future,” David Zaslav, the chief executive of CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a statement.
“The world needs accurate trustworthy news now more than ever and we’ve never had more ways of meeting that need at home and abroad,” Thompson said. “Where others see disruption, I see opportunity. I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and get down to work with my new colleagues to build a successful future for CNN.”
“We face pressure from every direction – structural, political, cultural, you name it. … There’s no magic wand that I or anyone else can wield to make this disruption go away. But what I can say is that where others see threat, I see opportunity – especially given CNN’s great brand and the strength of its journalism,” Thompson added.
CNN’s ratings have absolutely cratered over the past few months. According to Nielsen, in July CNN’s total daily viewers amounted to 470,000 on average.
Breaking News: CNN named Mark Thompson, the former leader of The New York Times and BBC, as chairman of the network at a pivotal moment.https://t.co/5VWzFYXtVx
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 30, 2023
Thank you for visiting