Photo: Getty Images
Former New York Times chief executive and BBC director-general Mark Thompson was announced as the next CEO and chairman of CNN on Wednesday (August 30).
“There isn’t a more experienced, respected or capable executive in the news business today than Mark, and we are thrilled to have him join our team and lead CNN Worldwide into the future,” David Zaslav, the chief executive of CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a statement shared on CNN.com.
Thompson will officially takeover as chief executive and chairman of the cable news network on October 9 and said he 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,” Thompson said via CNN.com. “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.”
Thompson is credited for bringing a resurgence to the New York Times during a turbulent period and will face what CNN described as "an existential threat to its business model due to the rapid contraction of traditional linear television."
Thompson's hiring comes less than three full months after the firing of former chairman and CEO Chris Licht in June. Licht, who was one year into his tenure at the network, faced numerous controversies prior an unflattering profile published by the Atlantic just prior to his termination.