Discovery Inc.
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+1.84%
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+0.39%
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+1.73%
has tapped producer Chris Licht to lead CNN after it takes over the cable-news channel, according to people familiar with the matter, turning to a veteran news and late-night TV showrunner to steady a network roiled by the sudden departure of its long-serving president.
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An announcement is expected next week, some of the people said.
Licht, who is currently executive producer of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” on Paramount Global’s
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CBS network, has also been the executive producer of “CBS This Morning” as well as MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Licht’s pending selection was previously reported by Puck News.
Licht’s hiring is one of the first major personnel moves made by Discovery Inc. as it prepares to merge with WarnerMedia, the parent company of CNN, this spring. Discovery Inc. Chief Executive David Zaslav, who will run the combined company, has said little publicly about his plans for CNN, but praised the network’s coverage of the Russia-Ukraine War on an earnings conference call earlier this week.
An expanded version of this report appears at WSJ.com.
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