Mark Thompson, the former New York Times and BBC chief, has been named the new CEO of cable news giant CNN, tasked with reviving a network beset by sagging ratings and falling profits.
The announcement followed much speculation in recent days, and comes after Chris Licht’s exit in June. Licht spent a rocky year at the helm that included a divisive town hall with Donald Trump and the shutdown of CNN+ streaming service just weeks after its launch.
With Thompson, 66, Warner Bros Discovery, the owner of CNN, is turning to an executive with ample experience at the top level, unlike Licht – a former TV producer who had worked on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Thompson was director general of the BBC, the top executive job at the national British broadcaster, from 2004 until 2012, then moved across the Atlantic to become chief executive of the New York Times, for eight years until 2020.
More details soon …
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