Chris Licht is OUT at CNN after just one year following staff revolt and ratings slump
- Chris Licht will announce his departure from CNN in next 48 hours
- He took over from Jeff Zucker in May 2022 and had a disastrous year in charge
Chris Licht is out at CNN after a disastrous first year of trying to overhaul the network during which ratings slumped, profits shrank and staff revolted against him.
According to Puck’s Dylan Bowers, the network will announce in the next 48 hours that Licht will step down. His replacement is Amy Entelis, the long-serving Executive VP of talent.
The network’s Oliver Darcy also confirmed Licht’s departure, tweeting: ‘Bulletin: Chris Licht out at CNN.’
Licht’s departure comes after a hellish first year at the helm of the flailing network.
He took over from Jeff Zucker in May last year after Zucker’s affair with Allison Gollust was revealed. His mission was to overhaul the network and cleanse it of left-wing bias.
Chris Licht is out at CNN after a disastrous first year of trying to overhaul the network during which ratings slumped, profits shrank and staff revolted against him
As part of that strategy, he greenlit an hour-long town hall with Donald Trump that saw the former president railroad host Kaitlan Collins and which disgusted long-time employees who said he shouldn’t have been given a platform.
The townhall boosted ratings significantly but they failed to recover afterwards and, in recent days, have trailed the more conservative Newsmax.
There has also been major upheaval with the network’s roster of talent.
Don Lemon, a network stalwart, was fired after making a series of sexist remarks on Licht’s newly-conceived morning show, CNN This Morning.
Amy Entelis, the long-serving VP of talent, has been tapped to replace Licht
Out too was Brian Stelter, the long-serving media correspondent.
Staff were always turned off by Licht’s aloofness and the fact he kept his office on the 22nd floor, separate from the newsroom and constantly patrolled by his assistants.
The final straw came this week with a 1,500-word profile in The Atlantic which detailed his underwhelming leadership and staff doubts.
Licht contributed to that profile with disparaging comments about CNN’s coverage of COVID-19 – before he took over.
Yesterday, he apologized to staff on the notorious morning call and said he would ‘fight’ to win back their trust.