The CNN President Jeff Zucker announced his immediate resignation on Wednesday for failing to disclose a romantic relationship with a colleague on American network television.
“I certainly wish my tenure here had ended differently,” Zucker said in a message to CNN employees. “But my career (on the network) was something incredible. And I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Zucker, 56, said his resignation is immediate. Heading the global news network since 2013, he was one of the most powerful media executives in the United States.
In the investigation of a network presenter, Chris Cuomo, “I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone with whom I have worked for more than 20 years,” he said in his message. “I admitted that the relationship has evolved in recent years,” he said. “They asked me to reveal when it started but I didn’t. It was a mistake.”
CNN identified the colleague as chief marketing officer Allison Gollust, who said she would stay with the network. “Jeff and I have been close friends and professional partners for more than 20 years,” Gollust said in a statement released by CNN. “Recently, our relationship changed during covid,” she continued. “I’m sorry we didn’t reveal it at the right time.” “I am incredibly proud of my time at CNN and look forward to continuing the great work we do every day.”
Zucker and Gollust are divorced, according to The New York Times. Zucker came to CNN from NBC, where he served as Chairman and CEO of the NBC Universal Television Group.
Trump’s champion and scourge
While at NBC, Zucker launched the reality show “The Apprentice” that propelled Trump to stardom. The two grew apart after the real estate mogul entered politics and CNN became a favorite target of Trump’s attacks on the media while he was in the White House.
During both of Trump’s campaigns and throughout his presidency, CNN portrayed itself as the channel for factual reporting, often facing what its reporters saw as false or misleading accusations from the Trump team.
Jeff Zucker “was fired for many reasons, but primarily because CNN has lost its way, along with its viewers and everyone else,” Trump reacted in a statement Wednesday. “Now is an opportunity to put fake news on the back burner,” added the former president, who often accused CNN of distorting reality and even fabricating information about him.
With Trump leaving the White House, CNN saw a 38% audience drop last year.
chain reorientation
With a successful career in the television industry, Zucker began at just 21 years old as a documentary filmmaker for major national network NBC, rising rapidly before becoming CEO of giant NBC Universal in 2007.
In 2013, following cable operator Comcast’s purchase of the group, Zucker returned to CNN. The executive was also president of WarnerMedia News and Sports, an entity of the parent company WarnerMedia, since 2019.
The director’s departure is a blow to the consortium, which is preparing to launch a subscription video service focused on news called CNN+ in the spring, as well as the absorption of the group by the television giant Discovery, scheduled for June. next.
After acquiring the Time Warner group (now WarnerMedia) in 2019 for 85,000 million dollars, the telephone operator AT&T decided last year to get rid of it, opting to bet on mobile phones and 5G before content.
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In a statement released by CNN, Jason Kilar, CEO of WarnerMedia, CNN’s parent company, said he “will announce an interim leadership plan shortly.” “We thank Jeff for his contributions over the past 9 years,” Kilar stated.
WarnerMedia is currently in merger negotiations with Discovery Inc.