5 Biggest Revelations from the NY Times Deep Dive Into CNN’s Turmoil and Chris Licht’s Ouster

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A new report on the inner workings of CNN shed some fascinating new light on the interpersonal dynamics that have fueled the network’s troubles in the Warner Bros. Discovery era.

The New York Times piece focused mostly on Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and his relationships with several of CNN’s most prominent current and former anchors and executives. The article explores Zaslav’s once-good relationships with Chris Licht, Jeff Zucker and others, and how those friendships deteriorated.

The article portrays as Zaslav as a “cutthroat” executive who doesn’t let personal relationships stand in the way of his goals. Here are five of the most stunning takeaways from the Times dive into CNN’s turmoil.

1. Zaslav trashed Zucker as a ‘weakling’ following a meeting 1 year after firing him

The article details Zaslav’s interest in replacing Zucker as the head of CNN even before the merger between Discovery and WarnerMedia was complete. Reports of tensions between the two have floated through the media for years, but the Times states that a year after Zucker was ousted from CNN, he and Zaslav had a chance to bury the hatchet during a chance meeting at a Miami hotel.

Mr. Zaslav complained that Mr. Zucker was telling people that Mr. Zaslav was behind his removal. That wasn’t true, Mr. Zaslav said, and told Mr. Zucker that he had to let that go.

Afterward, Mr. Zaslav texted Mr. Zucker, thanked him and said, “Let’s move forward.”

But in a call with Mr. Licht after the meeting, Mr. Zaslav belittled Mr. Zucker as a weakling who had tears in his eyes, several people with knowledge of the conversation said. “Can you believe this?” Mr. Zaslav asked, injecting an expletive.

2. It was Chris Licht’s call to fire Brian Stelter, who Zaslav praised as a ‘great talent’

The article also dove into the firing Brian Stelter, who Licht saw as counterproductive to his efforts to make CNN more neutral in its coverage.

In August 2022, CNN announced that it was ending Mr. Stelter’s “Reliable Sources” and that he was leaving the network. As Mr. Stelter stepped off the set after his final show, Mr. Zaslav called him and said he was “taking a lot of heat” for the decision. Mr. Stelter put the call on speakerphone. “Buddy, you’re a great talent,” Mr. Zaslav said, and suggested that they might work together again, according to three people familiar with the exchange. It was Mr. Licht’s decision to get rid of Mr. Stelter, but he had briefed Mr. Zaslav on his plan and Mr. Zaslav didn’t intervene, two people familiar with the decision said.

3. Licht was actually trying to save Lemon’s job

Per the Times, Licht was reluctant to get rid of Lemon and tried to find a way to keep him at CNN.

Firing CNN’s prominent Black gay anchor could be a public-relations nightmare and immediately taint Mr. Licht’s tenure. Mr. Licht sought to protect Mr. Lemon by moving him from his 10 p.m. slot to a revamped morning show, three people familiar with his thinking said.

Mr. Lemon wasn’t happy about the morning show, but he still considered Mr. Zaslav his friend and protector, according to two people aware of his thinking. After they met in the city in 2011, Mr. Zaslav showered Mr. Lemon with gift boxes and invitations to social events, including his Labor Day parties. Some weekends Mr. Zaslav dropped in on Mr. Lemon just to hang out, and Mr. Zaslav invited him to walk on the beach. Mr. Lemon often called and texted Mr. Zaslav and felt free to criticize Mr. Licht, telling Mr. Zaslav that Mr. Licht was losing the confidence of CNN’s newsroom.

4. ‘Why hasn’t he been fired?’

The situation with Lemon became unsustainable when the former CNN host came under fire over his infamous comment about Nikki Haley’s age. The Times reported that “Licht reprimanded Mr. Lemon but tried to protect his job. Finally, Mr. Zaslav’s patience ran out: ‘Why hasn’t he been fired?’ Mr. Zaslav demanded, lacing the question with profane language, according to people familiar with his remarks.”

By early March, Mr. Zaslav had promised Warner Bros. Discovery board members that Mr. Lemon would be off the morning show before Memorial Day.

Mr. Licht tried to find a job for Mr. Lemon at another Warner Bros. Discovery TV network, multiple people said. But after continuing pressure from Mr. Zaslav, Mr. Licht announced on April 24 that CNN and Mr. Lemon had “parted ways.” Neither Mr. Zaslav nor Mr. Licht personally broke the news to Mr. Lemon, although Mr. Licht offered to meet with him after they told his agent.

That meeting never happened, but Mr. Zaslav and Mr. Lemon subsequently met at Barney Greengrass, Mr. Zaslav’s usual breakfast place on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Mr. Zaslav said he was sorry for the way Mr. Lemon had been treated and blamed Mr. Licht for the outcome, according to three people familiar with their talk. While the discussion was cordial, the two no longer socialize.

5. Zaslav may not have been happy with Licht’s decision to give Laura Coates the 11 pm hour

Despite Zaslav and Licht’s longtime friendship, the Warner Bros. Discovery chief let Licht know where they stood shortly after hiring him, telling him, per the Times, “We’ve been friends for 15 years. We’re not friends anymore. You work for me.” Among the reported disagreements between Zaslav and Licht, one of the more interesting ones reported was about the decision to give Laura Coates her own show.

Mr. Zaslav and Mr. Licht also clashed after CNN said in January that Laura Coates, then CNN’s on-air senior legal analyst, would be the sole anchor of the 11 p.m. hour. Mr. Zaslav loves sports metaphors, and often described CNN as the “world class” news equivalent of the New York Yankees. He told Mr. Licht that he wanted great players on the field and that Mr. Licht should go for big names, several people with knowledge of the exchange said.

Although the decision was up to Mr. Licht, who defended Ms. Coates, the clear implication was that she didn’t measure up. When Mr. Licht told his staff that Ms. Coates would not be the 11 p.m. anchor after all, some suspected the decision was Mr. Zaslav’s. But during the meeting, Mr. Licht attributed the decision to budget constraints. (Ms. Coates finally did get the 11 p.m. slot: “Laura Coates Live” debuted last month.)

In a statement, Warner Bros. Discovery said “any suggestion that Mr. Zaslav was not supportive of Ms. Coates or her role at the network is wholly inaccurate.”

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