Former CEO of The New York Times Company, Mark Thompson, has been selected by Warner Bros. Company to take on the role of chairman and CEO at CNN, succeeding Chris Licht as the leader of the cable news organization. The announcement was made by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, David Zaslav, in an internal memo to CNN employees on August 30. Thompson, who played a pivotal role in boosting The New York Times’ financial prospects by expanding its digital subscriber base during his tenure as CEO from 2012 to 2020, will officially assume his position at CNN on October 9.
Thompson’s appointment comes after Chris Licht’s departure from the network in June, following a challenging 13-month period marked by falling ratings, the removal of long-standing anchor Don Lemon, and negative coverage in The Atlantic magazine that depicted Licht as a paranoid manager fixated on his predecessor, Jeff Zucker.
In the memo, Zaslav commended Thompson’s extensive four-decade-long career in the news industry and his proven track record of innovation and excellence. Zaslav expressed confidence that Thompson is the right leader to guide CNN through this crucial period.
In the interim period following Licht’s exit, CNN has been managed by a team of executives including Amy Entelis, who oversees talent, Virginia Moseley, the head of news-gathering, Eric Sherling, responsible for programming, and David Leavy, who handles commercial affairs.
Thompson, 66, has a history of collaboration with Zaslav. Before his role at The New York Times, he served as the director general of the BBC. During his time at The Times, Thompson introduced initiatives like NYT Cooking, a subscription-based recipe service, and oversaw the acquisition of Wirecutter along with the launch of The Daily, a highly popular news-oriented podcast. Post his tenure at The Times, he contributed to the Royal Shakespeare Company’s board and co-chaired the International Fund for Public Interest Media.
Thompson’s journalism journey began in 1979 when he joined the BBC as a production trainee, and he eventually ascended to significant roles in prominent newsmagazines like “Newsnight” and “Panorama.”
