Jeff Zucker Says He Plans to Leave CNN at End of 2021
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CNN President Jeff Zucker has put to bed industry speculation that he is leaving the network — this quarter.
On CNN’s 9 a.m. editorial call, Zucker told staff he will be staying with CNN for the remainder of his contract, which lasts the duration of 2021.
“I cannot imagine not being here right now,” Zucker said on the call, a transcript of which was obtained by Mediaite. “I am going to stay and finish my current contract – which, as I said, will keep me here until the end of this year. At that point, I do expect to move on.”
The talk about Zucker’s future comes amid a massive surge in viewership at CNN. After the election, the network has enjoyed a ratings explosion while Fox News, usually the top rated cable news network, has fallen to third place in a number of metrics. CNN had its highest-rated month on record in January, winning across the board in total viewers and in the key demographic. But there were signs — after the inauguration of President Joe Biden slowed the news-cycle to a relatively sane pace — that CNN’s ratings surge is now ebbing.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the news, Zucker said “I love my job, it’s really that simple.”
“I have an incredible vantage point here. I felt that I wanted to honor the contractual commitment.”
Zucker told the LA Times that he previously spoke to Jason Kilar, CEO of CNN parent company Warner Media, about leaving in early 2021, prompting a raft of reports about his next move.
“The truth is, back in November and December I had basically decided that it was time to move on now,” he said on the Thursday call. “But since then I’ve had a change of heart. And I want to stay. Not forever, but for another year. And I feel really good about this decision.”
