Licht was general manager for 13 months.
CNN Chairman and CEO Chris Licht will step down, parent company Warner Bros. said Wednesday. Discovery.
In his 13 months in office, Licht promised to institute middle-of-the-road coverage, but faced backlash for decisions like a recent town hall event with former President Donald Trump.
“I have great respect for Chris, personally and professionally,” said David Zaslav, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. “The job of running CNN was never going to be easy, especially at a time of great disruption and transformation, and he has poured his heart and soul into it.”
“While we know we have work to do as we look to identify a new leader, we have absolute confidence in the team we have in place and will continue to fight for CNN and its world-class journalism,” Zaslav added.
Warner Bros. Discovery has conducted “an active search for a replacement,” the company said in a statement Wednesday.
In the meantime, CNN’s business side will be led by an interim team consisting of Amy Entelis, senior vice president of talent and content development; Virginia Moseley, vice president of publishing; and Eric Sherling, vice president of US programming, as well as David Leavy, chief operating officer, said Warner Bros. Discovery.
