Chris Licht News

CNN is making dramatic changes to its lineup, with new roles for Abby Phillip, Laura Coates and news veterans Christiane Amanpour and Chris Wallace

(Reuters) — CNN's new CEO Mark Thompson plans to combine all newsgathering operations of the news network into one unit that would serve its television, streaming and digital platforms, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

CNN will premiere King Charles, a primetime limited series on November 29, at 10 PM ET. The show will be hosted by Gayle King and Charles Barkley. King Charles will be an hour-long talk show where the hosts will be engaging with each other and their guests and audience in very lively and genuine talks about the most intriguing events, topics, and cultural themes of the week.

CNN is bringing in former New York Times and BBC leader Mark Thompson in an attempt to turn around its fortunes

Warner Bros Discovery named Mark Thompson as CEO of CNN on Wednesday, tasking the former New York Times and BBC chief with reviving a news network beset by sagging ratings and falling profits.Thompson succeeds Chris Licht, who stepped down in June after a rocky one year at the helm that included a divisive town hall with former Republican U.S. President Donald Trump and the shutdown of CNN+ streaming service just weeks after its launch. With Thompson, 66, Warner Bros Discovery is turning to an executive with ample experience at the top level, unlike Licht — a former TV producer who had worked on «The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.» During his 8-year tenure as the CEO of the Times, Thompson helped transform the Gray Lady into a beacon for newspapers in the internet age by focusing on digital subscriptions. The Times' share price grew nearly five-fold in the period, widely outperforming the benchmark S&P 500 index. «Mark is a true innovator who has transformed for the digital age two of the world's most respected news organizations,» Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav said in a statement. A big focus area for Thompson is likely to be the recently announced round-the-clock news service called CNN Max, which will be available on Warner Bros Discovery's streaming platform. CNN Max is looking to capitalize on the immediacy of breaking news and analysis, differentiating it from CNN+, which featured lifestyle programs. The news network's ratings have been sagging, even as the company attempts to attract more Republican viewers. Its profit fell under $1 billion in 2022 and is expected to be modestly higher this year than last, at $938.6 million, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

CNN is making several changes to its morning, prime-time and weekend shows, a major programming overhaul in years that comes as the network seeks to counter a multiyear ratings slump. The network said Abby Phillip, the anchor of “Inside Politics Sunday," would anchor its 10 p.m. slot.

Under fire this week for an investigative story on former CNN chief Jeff Zucker, the entertainment publication Variety made changes to the piece on Friday

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