Chris Licht introduces himself to CNN as its next CEO

Discovery on Monday confirmed that Chris Licht will become the new head of CNN when Discovery and WarnerMedia merge this spring.

Posted 4:04 p.m. Feb 28, 2022 — Updated 4:04 p.m. Feb 28, 2022

Brian Stelter

, CNN Business

CNN — Discovery on Monday confirmed that Chris Licht will become the new head of CNN when Discovery and WarnerMedia merge this spring.

Discovery CEO David Zaslav said "we plan to appoint Chris Licht as the new Chairman and CEO of CNN Global, hopefully starting May 1."

The pending merger between Discovery and CNN's current parent, WarnerMedia, is expected to take effect in April.

Licht, the former executive producer of "Morning Joe" on MSNBC and "CBS This Morning" on CBS, is currently the showrunner of "The Late Show" and executive vice president of special programming at ViacomCBS.

"I am a journalist at heart. While I have enjoyed every minute at 'The Late Show,' I am joining CNN because I feel a genuine pull to return to news at such a critical moment in history," Licht said in a memo to staffers Monday morning.

His expected appointment was first reported by Puck on Saturday and confirmed by sources with knowledge of the matter.

"I know you have a lot of questions," Licht wrote to staffers. "Perhaps the biggest one is how will CNN change? The honest answer is that I don't know yet. David Zaslav has given me one simple directive: To ensure that CNN remains the global leader in NEWS as part of Warner Bros. Discovery."

Suggest A Correction