Zucker’s career took off when he became executive producer of NBC’s Today show at 26 in 1992. He helped turn that program into a ratings leader, moving it to a new studio in Rockefeller Plaza and introducing outdoor concerts. He later ran all of NBCUniversal’s TV businesses including entertainment, sports and cable. He joined CNN as president in 2013.
He helped bring The Apprentice to NBC, creating a media platform for future president Donald Trump. As president, Trump often attacked Zucker on Twitter for the network’s critical coverage, but CNN, like other news channels, benefited greatly while he was in office, with ratings soaring. Those viewership numbers have plunged since Trump left, and now CNN will have to figure out how to draw new viewers without its longtime leader.
Zucker helped bring The Apprentice to NBC, creating a media platform for future president Donald Trump.Credit:Alamy
Zucker said a year ago that he planned to step down when his contract expired at the end of 2021. But he later recanted, saying he would stay at least until Discovery closed its merger with CNN’s owner, AT&T’s WarnerMedia, which is expected in the second quarter of this year. There was speculation that Zucker might stay on at CNN after the deal closes because he is close friends with Discovery chief executive officer David Zaslav.
The company didn’t immediately name a successor for Zucker, who also served as chairman of sports at WarnerMedia.
His departure comes at a pivotal time for the channel. Not only is the cable network about to have a new owner and battling a steep ratings decline, it’s planning to launch a new streaming service, CNN+, in the coming months.
CNN ranks a distant third behind Fox News and MSNBC in nightly prime-time ratings among the 24-hour news networks, according to data from Nielsen. The network is averaging 647,000 viewers a night in prime time this season, compared with 2.38 million a night for Fox and 1.17 million for MSNBC.
Zucker also oversees sports programming at WarnerMedia, which is weeks away from its March Madness broadcast.
Bloomberg
The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.
CNN president Jeff Zucker quits after failing to disclose relationship with co-worker
Source: Philippines Alive
