Mark Thompson Named Chairman And CEO Of CNN – Update

Ted Johnson
·7 min read
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UPDATE: Warner Bros. Discovery made it official on Wednesday: Mark Thompson will become chairman and CEO of CNN.

Thompson will take the role on Oct. 9.

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Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav called Thompson a “true innovator who has transformed for the digital age two of the world’s most respected news organizations,” referring to his prior tenure as CEO of The New York Times Co. and as director general of the BBC. Thompson’s selection is a contrast to that of Chris Licht, who was ousted from his role in June, in that he has led global news organizations.

Thompson will report to Zaslav. A leadership team that has been in place since Licht’s departure will continue in their roles, reporting to Thompson, according to Warner Bros. Discovery. They include Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent and content development; David Leavy, chief operating officer; Virginia Moseley, executive vice president of editorial, CNN U.S., and Eric Sherling, executive vice president of U.S. programming.

Earlier this summer, there had been an expectation that the four interim leaders would stay in place through the 2024 election. With Thompson’s hire rumored in recent days, there was speculation as to whether some of the interim leaders would stay at the network. On Wednesday morning’s staff Zoom call, where Thompson’s appointment was discussed, Leavy told staffers, “No one’s leaving,” and praised Moseley and Entelis, according to a source. Moseley thanked Leavy, then moved on.

Thompson said in a statement, “I couldn’t be more excited about the chance to join CNN after years of watching it and competing against it with a mixture of admiration and envy. The world needs accurate trustworthy news now more than ever and we’ve never had more ways of meeting that need at home and abroad. Where others see disruption, I see opportunity. I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and get down to work with my new colleagues to build a successful future for CNN.”

He will face immediate pressing issues, including CNN’s latest attempt to venture into streaming with the pending debut of CNN Max. That portal, to be part of the WBD streaming service Max, will feature the CNN International live feed as well as new programming from CNN talent. The network has made several previous dives into the streaming arena, and will be trying to catch up to its rivals. MSNBC had a hub on Peacock’s premium tier, while Fox News has the subscription streaming service Fox Nation. All of the major broadcast networks also have their own ad-supported services.

At The New York Times, where Thompson served as president and CEO from 2012 to 2020, he is credited with dramatically increasing digital subscriptions and more than doubling digital revenues, as the media outlet became one of the success stories of the transition from print. Among other things, the Times established digital brands like the podcast The Daily and features content like Wirecutter.

The challenge at CNN will be to manage amid a decline in linear television, as consumer habits shift to streaming options. After viewership highs during the pandemic and the 2020 election cycle, CNN’s viewership has been in decline. In primetime, the network averaged 723,000 viewers, a distant third to Fox News and MSNBC, and down 1% from the same period a year earlier. In some instances in recent months, CNN’s viewership was eclipsed even by Newsmax, the right wing outlet.

He also will be pressed to quickly earn the trust of the network’s 4,000-employee workforce, which will be on its third CEO in less than two years, interspersed with two periods of interim leadership. Staffers have said that there is an atmosphere of weariness given the upheaval, although they have found Thompson’s experience and background promising. One source said the feeling was one of cautious optimism.

In their announcement, Warner Bros. Discovery noted that Thompson would “act as editor-in-chief, ultimately responsible for all CNN content.” Some observers took that as a message that he would be more intimately involved in editorial decisions than his predecessor.

Licht’s tenure was marked by staff discord, as he was tasked with implementing layoffs of hundreds of staffers and, in his first significant move, shut down CNN+, the network’s short-lived subscription streaming service. A town hall event in May with Donald Trump turned into something resembling a rally and triggered open staff revolt. And in addition to cutbacks, there has been an exit of some talent to other outlets. CNN also has been the subject of ongoing — and long-running —speculation that its parent company would spin it off in an effort to reduce corporate debt.

Thompson also will be taking the reins at CNN just as the 2024 presidential race kicks into high gear, with the prospect that it will be a campaign like no other. Trump faces multiple criminal trials throughout the year, and he has made the network a frequent target. While Zucker’s CNN played up the tension with Trump while he was in office, Licht attempted to pull that back.

Thompson was director general of the BBC from 2004 to 2012, and WBD noted that he led the development of the BBC iPlayer, the world’s first streaming service from a major broadcaster. He also expanded web and smartphone services, the company noted.

He also was knighted for services to media at the King’s Birthday Honors in June 2023.

PREVIOUSLY: Mark Thompson, the former CEO of The New York Times Co. and director general of the BBC, is in line to be named the next head of CNN, according to a source familiar with the plans and multiple press reports.

Thompson would succeed Chris Licht, whose tenure in the top job at the network ended in June, after the publication of a controversial profile in The Atlantic and amid tumult among the staff. An interim leadership team of four executives — Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley, Eric Sherling and David Leavy — has been in charge at the network since then.

Puck first reported that Thompson would be named to the post soon. A spokesperson for the network and for Warner Bros. Discovery did not return calls seeking comment. In recent days staffers have been wondering if Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav was about to name a permanent CEO of the network, after earlier reports that Thompson was in the mix.

Thompson would take charge of the network at time of upheaval across linear television. CNN has seen its audience slide since the last presidential election, and has been eclipsed in viewership by rivals MSNBC and Fox News even in its bread and butter: Major news events.

But Thompson also would be joining the network just as the 2024 presidential race takes off, a campaign that may be like no other given that so much of the coverage will focus on former President Donald Trump’s criminal proceedings.

Thompson would be the third permanent head of the network in the last two years. Jeff Zucker departed abruptly in February, 2022, before Warner Bros. Discovery took control of the network. Zaslav picked Chris Licht, then executive producer of CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, to run the network. Licht, though, was ousted after just over a year in the job, after a tenure that included staff layoffs and other cutbacks.

The four interim leaders, who have come to be known as “the quad,” have implemented an overhaul of the network’s schedule as well as plans to launch CNN Max, a live streaming hub that will be part of Max starting next month. CNN’s future in streaming is a key priority given the decline in linear television.

There had been some expectation that the interim leadership team would remain in place until after the presidential election, but Zaslav had settled on his choice for a permanent leader in recent weeks.

Thompson most recently has been chairman of the board of Ancestry, the genealogy site. In addition to his tenure at The New York Times and eight years as director general of the BBC, he served as chief executive of Channel 4 from 2002-04. He helped transform the Times into a digital news subscription company.

Jill Goldsmith contributed to this report.

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