Everyone could tell that he was carrying out someone else’s orders. If I sound sympathetic toward the position Licht was placed in, that’s because I, like many CNN employees, had been. But when Zaslav decided to shut down CNN+, he tasked Licht with announcing the decision and laying off the employees. May 1 was supposed to be Licht’s first day of work.

They thought they might have one in Licht. Post-Zucker, CNN staffers longed for another larger-than-life, I-have-your-back leader - as many saw Zucker. He didn’t interview anyone else for the job, a fact that insulted Zucker’s lieutenants but signaled that Zaslav thought a total overhaul was necessary. He believed Licht was a “wunderkind,” impressed by Licht’s years producing Morning Joe, CBS This Morning, and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Zaslav had started to recruit Licht to take over CNN months before then-network president Jeff Zucker’s ouster meant the job was vacant. When asked about the status of the brand-new CNN+ streaming service, “Zaslav responded that it would be up to incoming chief Chris Licht to decide on future strategy,” Insider reported that day. Zaslav talked up CNN as a “national treasure” and praised the network’s coverage of the war in Ukraine. Zaslav and Leavy, his longtime right-hand man, toured CNN’s New York offices at Hudson Yards in the morning and visited the Washington, D.C., bureau at night. studio lot, or any number of prized assets. Discovery was born, Zaslav could have visited HBO, the Warner Bros. In the words of one host, “Something has got to give.” But now Zaslav is telling associates that Leavy is bringing adult supervision - a seeming indictment of Licht. Zaslav, who seems not to agree, has channeled his views through Licht, sometimes loudly enough that others could overhear him doing so over the phone. Many CNN staffers feel the news operation isn’t broken and thus doesn’t need Zaslav or Licht to fix it. Licht has told deputies that he has defended CNN’s editorial independence. Some say this reflects his passion for the brand others say it amounts to inappropriate interference. He has been vocal - much more in private than public - about how he wants CNN to evolve. The network is at an inflection point, and Zaslav will determine its future. This is the first time I’m reporting on CNN at any length since leaving. I was shown the door in August 2022 but have remained in touch with Licht, Zaslav, and other key players at the company. I covered media news and anchored the Sunday-morning program Reliable Sources for nearly nine years. Most of the 40-plus people whose insights informed this column, texted and called me over the weekend because of my history at CNN. He plans to address the CNN staff on Monday morning. Licht clearly sees a way forward: On Sunday evening, to the surprise of some employees, he was in Iowa, overseeing the production of a town-hall broadcast with GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley. In the words of three employees: “He’s over.” “He’s done.” “There’s no coming back from that profile.” However, the staffers don’t know whether Zaslav agrees. That anti-Licht sentiment is shared by many in the CNN rank and file, and has existed to some extent for months, but The Atlantic article cemented it.

“I feel like a quarterback without a coach,” one anchor commented Sunday. And then came the phone calls: delicate conversations with CNN personalities who signaled that they have lost confidence in Licht as a leader.

Leavy, who was Zaslav’s chief corporate operating officer, emailed multiple CNN anchors right away and vowed to meet with them as soon as possible. Discovery, needed him to survey and repair the damage. His boss David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. But the truth is Leavy started immediately - he had no other choice. The press release listed June 20 as Leavy’s start date. Precisely 24 hours before The Atlantic published “ Inside the Meltdown at CNN,” a 15,000-word defenestration of Licht, the cable news network announced Leavy as its new chief operating officer. That’s why, while the media commentariat was talking about CNN CEO Chris Licht last Friday, some of CNN’s best-known journalists were thinking ahead and calling David Leavy. Reporters learn early in their careers to think two or three steps ahead.

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