At last, CNN has a new CEO. The hope is that this one sticks around.
It was announced Wednesday that Mark Thompson, the former chief executive of The New York Times Company and director general of the BBC, would step in as CNN’s new chief executive and chairman.
Thompson will start on October 9th, according to parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.
“Mark is a true innovator who has transformed for the digital age two of the world’s most respected news organizations,” David Zaslav, the chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a statement. “His strategic vision, track record in transformational leadership and sheer passion for news make him a formidable force for CNN and journalism at this pivotal time.”
Regarded as a leader among news organizations, CNN has been dealing with a string of crises for the better part of 18 months. Ratings have collapsed, profits have declined, and the network is still recovering from Chris Licht’s disastrous tenure as chief executive, which included the network’s now-infamous Donald Trump Town Hall. Licht was fired in June when staff morale was in the toilet and it seemed the entire company was against him.
Now, after a string of interim bosses, it’s 66-year-old Thompson’s turn to try and bring CNN back.
He started as a trainee with the BBC in 1979 and rose through the ranks to the highest post of director general in 2004. He joined the New York Times as CEO in 2012 and, according to the paper, was vital in driving up digital subscription numbers; today, the Times has over 10 million subscribers, 9 million of them digital. Thompson left the paper in 2020.
