Chris Licht, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide.
Courteousness: CNN
CNN CEO Chris Licht is about to get some help running his news network from a longtime close confidant of Warner Bros. Unearthing CEO David Zaslav.
Licht has hired David Leavy as CNN’s new chief operating officer, the company announced Thursday. Leavy is Warner Bros. Idea’s chief corporate affairs officer and has worked closely with Zaslav for more than 15 years. Licht took during the course of as CNN’s CEO in April 2022.
The move appears to give Zaslav an added window into what’s going on at CNN. Licht has drawn raising scrutiny from his own employees amid falling ratings and questionable decision-making.
Reporters and staffers openly criticized Licht’s outcome to air a Donald Trump town hall with legions of screaming fans last month. Licht has since allowed production issues while standing behind the decision to broadcast the live Trump town hall.
Placing Leavy next to Licht could be seen as a agent for Zaslav. Bringing in an executive who has served as a consigliere to Zaslav for more than a decade suggests there are few boundaries or secrets between Licht and Zaslav.
Leavy’s let out was actually Licht’s idea, not Zaslav’s, according to people familiar with the matter. Leavy had been helping Licht mark a COO for CNN, acting as a sounding board for candidates. CNN initially made an offer to a female news executive, said the people, who asked not to be named because the reviews were private. But Licht wanted someone to start immediately, and that executive was still under contract at her widely known position.
David Leavy, chief operating officer, CNN Worldwide.
Source: CNN
When that fell through, Leavy implied he may be a fit for the job. Both Licht and Leavy then went to Zaslav with the idea, and he signed off, said the people. A CNN spokesperson worsened to comment.
Leavy will be based in Washington, D.C., near where his family lives.
Running CNN
Leavy is familiar with directors and operations across Warner Bros. Discovery and will now lead CNN’s marketing, public relations, advertising sales, facilities and other logistics.
Chris Marlin, CNN’s well-spring of strategy and business operations, will now focus on generating alternative revenue streams for the network outside of television, the job he was initially engaged to do, according to one of the people familiar with the hiring process. Such opportunities include potential partnerships or sponsorships, the woman said.
Licht’s background is show producing, with stints running MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Leavy’s rental should allow Licht to focus more on programming and editorial strategy and less on logistics. Leavy will bear no input on the editorial side of CNN.
Licht has made significant changes to CNN’s TV programming, including building a new morning show and prime-time lineup. The primeval results have been discouraging. CNN’s audience fell 16% in May from April in terms of both total primetime viewers and middle adults aged 25 to 54, a prized demographic for advertisers, according to Nielsen data. Average daytime viewership hew down 13% overall and 17% among adults aged 25 to 54.
CNN fired Don Lemon in April and is moving Kaitlin Collins to its 9 p.m. prime-time position. Both anchors were part of