Chris Licht, the brand new chairman of CNN, advised staff in a city corridor assembly on Thursday that he hoped to have a brand new present within the 9 p.m. hour this fall after experimenting with the time-slot over the summer season.
The 9 p.m. hour is an important time for the community, traditionally producing a few of CNN’s highest rankings and delivering priceless promoting income. The earlier anchor, Chris Cuomo, was fired by CNN final 12 months after an inquiry into his efforts to assist his brother, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, reply to allegations of sexual misconduct.
“Let’s attempt some issues at 9 o’clock,” Mr. Licht mentioned, based on a recording of the assembly reviewed by The New York Occasions. “Let’s have some enjoyable with it. Let’s simply attempt some issues. However my intention is to have a present able to launch within the fall at 9 o’clock.”
Thursday’s assembly, which lasted greater than an hour, was the primary time Mr. Licht spoke to CNN staff since he took over as chairman of CNN this week. Mr. Licht addressed them on the finish of April when he shut down CNN+, the bold enterprise that aimed to supply a beachhead for the community in streaming.
A CNN spokesman declined to remark.
Throughout the assembly, Mr. Licht was interviewed by Erin Burnett, host of CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront,” which airs weeknights at 7.
Ms. Burnett requested Mr. Licht about his strategy to CNN’s morning programming, which incorporates “New Day” and “Early Begin.” Mr. Licht mentioned he thought CNN’s morning present may very well be a “disruptive power” and added that he deliberate to work with the CNN govt producer Eric Corridor to determine the way forward for its early lineup.
“As soon as I discover out the place the loos are, one of many issues I’m actually trying ahead to is sitting down with him and his crew and determining what can this present be?” Mr. Licht mentioned.
The previous few months have been a tumultuous interval for CNN. The community’s long-serving president, Jeff Zucker, resigned in February after failing to reveal a romantic relationship with an in depth colleague.
Mr. Licht additionally mentioned in the course of the assembly that he hoped Chris Wallace, the previous “Fox Information Sunday” anchor, who hosted a present on CNN+, would stick with the community. Mr. Licht mentioned that Mr. Wallace was a “large expertise” and that the community was additionally engaged on a podcast and a present with the previous NPR host Audie Cornish, who additionally hosted a present on CNN+.
The information website Puck reported earlier that CNN was planning to maintain Mr. Wallace on the community and was transferring his present onto the HBO Max streaming service.
In response to a query about layoffs, Mr. Licht mentioned he didn’t plan to make giant cuts to the worker ranks at CNN.
“This is a company that has had intestine punch after intestine punch after intestine punch,” he mentioned. “And many of the organizations on the market wouldn’t have survived.”
Towards the tip of the assembly, Mr. Licht mentioned he had had conversations with Mr. Zucker about how CNN staff do not leak, including that he thought the community had “gone away from that somewhat bit.”
“Let’s have this be a reset,” Mr. Licht mentioned.
