Los Angeles Times

CNN Chairman Chris Licht apologizes to staff as questions grow about his future

CNN Chairman Chris Licht is trying to win back the support of his troops following a disastrous magazine piece about his first year at the network. Licht expressed regret Monday to staffers about the Atlantic profile by journalist Tim Alberta, described by many media industry longtimers as an unusually damaging story about a prominent media executive. The piece comes after a tumultuous period ...
Late Show showrunner Chris Licht attends the Mirror Awards at Cipriani 42nd Street on June 13, 2019, in New York.

CNN Chairman Chris Licht is trying to win back the support of his troops following a disastrous magazine piece about his first year at the network.

Licht expressed regret Monday to staffers about the Atlantic profile by journalist Tim Alberta, described by many media industry longtimers as an unusually damaging story about a prominent media executive.

The piece comes after a tumultuous period for CNN under Licht’s tenure that has been marked by cost-cutting pressures, programming missteps and declining audiences.

Executives and employees throughout CNN and its Warner Bros. Discovery were outraged by the story, and the top conversation internally is how much longer Licht can last in the job, according to several insiders who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Licht gave unfettered access for the Atlantic article, considered

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