In October speculation about the future of CNN began to swirl following reports that network president Jeff Zucker’s contract renewal was up in the air. Asked about his plans during an internal meeting, Zucker was noncommittal, according to the Wall Street Journal, which also reported that he wouldn’t make a decision on whether to stay at CNN until after the election. At the time, a knowledgeable source told me, “If and when he leaves, it will be on his timetable and his terms.”
The timetable still hasn’t been confirmed, but there’s talk in the upper ranks of WarnerMedia that Zucker is expected to leave CNN in the first quarter of 2021, according to someone familiar with the matter. It wouldn’t happen before the inauguration, sources said, and one person close to Zucker cautioned that nothing’s a done deal and “a final decision has not been made.” Zucker has more than a year left on his current contract, I can confirm. He last re-signed late in the spring of 2018, as I reported at the time, in a deal that locked him in through the election. (CNN declined to comment.)
Zucker’s departure would bring the curtain down on an exhilarating eight-year run that not only revived the network but turned CNN into one of the central characters in the Trump saga. Zucker and the outgoing president have a long history dating back to their time together at NBC, where Zucker famously greenlit The Apprentice. Zucker and CNN drew criticism for lavishing Trump with outsize attention during his 2016 campaign, but as the chaos of the Trump White House took hold, CNN became one of the administration’s most aggressive chroniclers, putting the network in the crosshairs of the MAGA faithful. Trump was seen as meddling in AT&T’s acquisition of CNN’s parent company, now called WarnerMedia, and while the network gave a platform to various administration loyalists, it also came to be seen as Trumpworld’s Enemy of the People No. 1. At the same time, the Trump news cycle has been a veritable gold rush for CNN, giving the network a huge ratings boost and elevating many of its anchors, correspondents, and contributors to new heights of prominence. During the week of November 3, CNN’s viewership topped the cable and broadcast news networks for election coverage.
A lot of that air may begin to leak out of the balloon once the anticipated normalcy of the Biden White House sets in, which would make this a reasonable time for Zucker to take a bow. But if the sunset of the 45th presidency has anything to do with his expected departure, so too may the internal machinations of WarnerMedia. There’s reportedly been friction between Zucker and Jason Kilar, who was named CEO of WarnerMedia in April. As the Journal reported, and my sources confirmed, Zucker was blindsided by a recent restructuring in which he lost oversight of CNN’s financial, human resources, and communications departments. Sources told me Zucker was given less than a day’s notice about the change before it took effect. (Kilar, meanwhile, has tamped down rumors that CNN might be hitting the sale block.)
“People really love Jeff and they do not want to see him go,” a CNN journalist told me. “I think a lot of people will be devastated if he does leave the network, and are concerned that you won’t be able to find someone with his leadership style to fill that role.” Another CNN staffer was more blunt: “Jason Kilar has no idea what’s about to walk out the door.”
As for what Zucker’s post-CNN career might bring, the executive has long hinted about a possible future in politics. In a New York Times column this past May, Ben Smith asked him if he would be interested in running for mayor of New York next year, and Zucker couldn’t resist sprinkling a little fuel on the fire. “I always like a challenge,” Zucker said. But earlier this month, according to Smith, a source close to the CNN chief threw cold water on that possibility, leaving Zucker’s next act anyone’s guess.
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