STAFF RATTLED BY OUSTER OF CNN’S ZUCKER
NEW YORK — The abrupt ouster of CNN chief executive Jeff Zucker because of a workplace relationship has left some prominent employees feeling angry and uncertain about the direction of their network at a pivotal moment.
The company is about to undergo a corporate ownership change, launch a paid streaming service and replace its most popular on-air host at a time of slumping ratings.
It became clear Thursday that Zucker’s exit after nine years as CNN’s leader was anything but voluntary.
Zucker said he was leaving for violating corporate policy by not disclosing the nature of his relationship with his secondin-command, Allison Gollust. But he was reportedly given no choice by WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar, who characterized the change as his decision at an emotional meeting with CNN Washington staff members Wednesday night. The Associated Press obtained an audio recording of that meeting.
The nature of that meeting, coupled with the fact that Zucker’s exit became a watercooler issue — former President Donald Trump released two statements on it — speaks to his unusual influence as a media executive.
“He was a larger-than-life figure in the political ecosystem, the media ecosystem and at CNN,” said Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of Hofstra University’s School of Communication and a former colleague of Zucker’s at NBC News.
Kilar was peppered with questions by CNN’s Washington staff. They wondered whether he sought advice from other executives, why Zucker wasn’t given a transition period and whether rumored antipathy between the two men played a role in the decision, according to the recording.
“Given that these are two consenting adults ... why is that a fireable offense?” asked White House reporter Kaitlan Collins.
TV host Jake Tapper said that there is a perception that Chris Cuomo — fired in December as a CNN host because he’d been privately advising his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — had essentially succeeded in a threat to embarrass the company by revealing the relationship if it didn’t pay a settlement fee.
“How do we get past the perception that this is the bad guy winning?” Tapper asked at the meeting.
Even some of the people named to temporarily replace Zucker — veteran CNN executives Michael Bass, Amy Entelis and Ken Jautz — spoke to his impact on the organization and said they would be following the direction he set.
Jautz said during the staff meeting that after CNN founder Ted Turner, “Jeff had more impact on this place than anybody, certainly any more than any executive.”