News

As the results of Election Night 2024 became known, Brian Williams looked to the future. ”Our country is about to change again,” he told viewers of a news special he was hosting on Amazon Prime Video, with a diorama of a highway lane placed behind him. “And life, of course, goes on. Hell, my next gig is to emcee our firehouse annual dinner on Saturday night in New Jersey, my hand to God.”

Williams and others like him may have more to look forward to than hosting community potlucks.

Amazon has been holding exploratory talks about possible news concepts, according to four people familiar with the matter, a sign that the streaming and e-commerce giant sees a chance for news to bolster its economics, even as traditional players in the space are grappling with tougher times. CNN, ABC News, CBS News and NBC News have all cut staff in recent months,...

Chris Wallace came to CNN to get heavily involved with reaching streaming audiences, and it looks like he will leave the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed news outlet still looking to do the same.

Wallace, a veteran commentator who held forth on Fox News Channel’s “Fox News Sunday” as well as NBC News’ “Meet The Press,” told The Daily Beast Monday that he planned to leave CNN, which he initially joined to participate in the scuttled streaming operation CNN+, to try his hand at reaching people via an independent digital venture.

CNN confirmed Wallace would leave three years after he initially signed on after leaving Fox News to do so. The typical anchor contract in the news business is for a similar amount of time. CNN tried to convince Wallace to stay, according to a person familiar with the matter.

“Chris Wallace is one of the most respected political journalists...

Brian Williams didn’t come to Election Night to break news, but rather to put it all together.

The NBC News veteran kicked off an interesting American experiment Tuesday evening by taking to Amazon’s Prime Video to host a live hours-long Election Night special on the streaming giant’s massive platform. Williams got to use his gift of gab while his corporate benefactor got to experiment with fishing for audiences with broadcasts around momentous live events that aren’t an NFL game or other sports event.

“Election Night with Brian Williams,” made available free to anyone who wanted to watch it — whether or not they held an Amazon Prime subscription — launched at 5 p.m., well before official coverage kicked off at MSNBC, Fox News Channel, CBS News or ABC News, and just as CNN began to look at its first exit poll of the evening and NBC News took...

Kasie Hunt has long been known for her work on the political beat, but in days to come she hopes people will think of her for news about culture or sports, maybe the weather. When the news cycle delivers something weird or surprising, the CNN early-morning anchor says she is even “willing to make faces on the air.”

Cable’s A.M. news shows have thrived in recent years by focusing relentlessly on politics, Now CNN and Hunt want to scramble viewers’ perceptions by widening the network’s aperture. “We want to be there for them even when politics is not the lead,” says Hunt during a recent interview.

People who tuned in to Monday’s “CNN This Morning,” the program Hunt anchors between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. — now with her name in the title — may have noticed a few new elements on screen, particularly starting at 6. New blue-and-yellow...

It’s a gathering that will bring together CEOs and CMOs, owners of NFTs and MBAs, trading card and pin collectors and a healthy dose of social media creators, podcasters and influencers. VeeCon, which runs Aug. 9-11 in downtown Los Angeles, is at its core an expression of the multitudes contained by serial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk.

“We want to be the coolest business conference,” Vaynerchuk told Variety. The event will highlight Vaynerchuk’s various businesses with a strong emphasis on his budding kids brand VeeFriends. It also hopes to buck the downtrend in the world of Web3, NFTs and disruptive digital technologies by growing the VeeFriends characters and storytelling eco-system through digital and video content.

“The world underestimates the sheer power and attention that sits on social media,” Vaynerchuk says. “A lot of people wish it wasn’t that way.”

Vaynerchuk’s VaynerWatt arm has teamed with “CocoMelon” producer Moonbug Entertainment...

CNN viewers are saddened to learn that political contributor Alice Stewart passed away at 58. Since she passed away so suddenly, not many details of her passing are yet publicly available.

As news of her death spread, many CNN employees expressed their sadness and offered condolences to her family members during this difficult time.

CNN Commentator Alice Stewart Unexpectedly Passes Away

Although many remember Alice Stewart from her days on CNN as a conservative political commentator, her career expanded well beyond that. She also served as a communications director for five Republican presidential campaigns, including Mike Huckabee’s first campaign as well as Ted Cruz’s 2016 bid.

The Atlanta native earned both a journalism and a political science degree from the University of Georgia.

Alice Stewart/Instagram

According to People, “Stewart was found outside in a residential neighborhood near Richmond, Va., early in the morning on Saturday, May 18.”

Officials didn’t...

Poppy Harlow is exiting CNN after a morning show failure and sixteen years with the network. She had experienced a shakeup in 2022 and things just continued to go downhill. Now, she has made the decision to leave. Keep reading for all of the details.

Poppy Harlow Exiting CNN After Morning Show Failure

After sixteen years with CNN, Poppy Harlow is leaving and a lot has to do with a big shakeup that occurred in 2022. She had spent over five years co-hosting CNN Newsroom with Jim Sciutto and they made a great duo. Then, she was moved to an early morning slot alongside Don Lemon and Kaitlan Collins for CNN This Morning. Lemon had come from anchoring his own primetime show whereas Collins was a correspondent. Unfortunately, the match did not light and Lemon was starting to get into trouble. He then made an inappropriate comment about former presidential candidate, Nikki Haley.

Poppy Harlow is leaving CNN after 16 years on the news network. Her latest role was as one of the anchors of CNN This Morning, which has been cancelled.

The show debuted in November of 2022, hosted by Harlow, Don Lemon, and Kaitlan Collins (above). Lemon was fired from CNN in May 2023, and Collins left to host The Source. CNN tried rotating anchors for a while and ultimately chose Phil Mattingly as Harlow's permanent co-anchor.

CNN This Morning was cancelled in February of this year and was replaced by CNN News Central. Per Vanity Fair, Harlow was given another role with the network but decided to leave instead.

Read More…...

CNN veteran Poppy Harlow has announced her exit from the cable news network.

“When I walked in the door at CNN in 2008, I was 25 years old and had never been on live TV. Green is an understatement!” Harlow said in a memo obtained by Vanity Fair. “This place has shaped me as a leader, taught me resilience, shown me the value of perspective and how to make hard decisions…. It is for those reasons that I take this leap and leave CNN with a full heart and deep gratitude.”

More from TVLineEllen DeGeneres to Address ‘Second Time I’ve Been...

Poppy Harlow, who has been with CNN since 2008, is exiting the network after 16 years, having announced her decision in a memo to colleagues on Friday, April 26. According to The Hollywood Reporter, CNN CEO Mark Thompson revealed the news during the network’s 9 a.m. editorial call before Harlow emailed her co-workers to confirm her decision. “Mark, Amy [Entelis], and the CNN management team have been wonderful and have given me the space to make this decision. I am very grateful to them,” Harlow wrote. “CNN gave me the opportunity to travel across this country and around the world — often at the worst of times, but when humanity also shows the best of itself.” Harlow joined CNN in 2008 and served as the anchor for CNNMoney.com, while also reporting for CNN and CNN International. She became a New York-based CNN correspondent in April 2012 and, in 2017, took over as co-anchor of CNN Newsroom with Jim Sciutto.

Poppy Harlow and CNN are parting ways after the news outlet put the veteran correspondent through a whirlwind era as one of the co-anchors of an ill-conceived morning program that was ultimately scrapped.

CNN executives “have been wonderful and have given me the space to make this decision,” Harlow said in a memo to colleagues Friday. “I am very grateful to them.”

The decision to leave was Harlow’s, according to people familiar with the matter. CNN executives had come up with a handful of ideas for a new role following the network’s decision to cancel the A.M. program she had been anchoring, most recently with Phil Mattingly. Mattingly has since been named a national correspondent. Harlow felt she wanted to take a break and survey other options that might be available to her, according to one of the people familiar with the situation.

She could probably use some time off.

Poppy Harlow is leaving CNN.

The veteran anchor announced her departure in an email to colleagues Friday.

“Mark, Amy and the CNN management team have been wonderful and have given me the space to make this decision. I am very grateful to them,” Harlow wrote. “CNN gave me the opportunity to travel across this country and around the world — often at the worst of times, but when humanity also shows the best of itself.”

“There’s been plenty written about what’s wrong with journalism, and the challenges our industry faces. And it does. But there is also so much right with it,” Harlow continued. “At the heart of everything we do is the pursuit of truth – it is the core of CNN. I remain CNN’s biggest fan and I’ll be watching and cheering you on every day.”

The anchor was most recently the co-host CNN This Morning,...

Poppy Harlow, who has been with CNN since 2008, is departing the network. Harlow announced her decision in a memo to colleagues.

She was offered a new role following the cancellation of CNN This Morning, but instead decided to leave, the network confirmed.

Harlow was co-host, along with Don Lemon and Kaitlan Collins, of CNN’s rebranded morning show, CNN This Morning, when it launched in November, 2022.

Lemon was ousted from the network the following April, and Collins left for her primetime show the following June. Phil Mattingly joined as co-host, but the show itself was dropped earlier this year in a retool of the network morning schedule. There still is a CNN This Morning with anchor Kasie Hunt, but it has an earlier start time of 5 a.m.

On X/Twitter, Harlow wrote of her tenure, “Loved every moment.” In her memo, Harlow wrote, “I have been inspired by you...

CNN has paid Don Lemon $24.5 million in order to settle his separation deal nearly 10 months after he was fired for his sexist remarks about Nikki Haley.

The comments that Lemon made on CNN This Morning on February 16 enraged his co-anchors, Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, who then went into the bathroom. This controversy started with a proposal Haley made during her presidential announcement speech about instituting a mental competency test for politicians who are over 75 years old.

“This whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable,” Lemon shared. “I think it’s the wrong road to go down. She says people, you know, politicians are suddenly not in their prime. Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime. A woman is considered to be in their prime in [their] the 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”

“That’s not according to me,” he then said after Harlow responded in shock. “It’s like,...

Phil Mattingly will serve as CNN’s chief domestic correspondent, taking on a new role after the network overhauled CNN This Morning.

Mattingly also will continue to fill in as an anchor, and participate in special coverage of the conventions and other political events. His first assignment will be covering Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, along with CNN correspondent Kristen Holmes.

Mattingly had co-anchored the morning program since last year, but the network shuffled its schedule last week, with CNN News Central taking over the 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Et timeslot, and CNN This Morning moving to 5 a.m. Et with Kasie Hunt as anchor. The network has not yet announced a new role for Poppy Harlow, who had co-anchored CNN This Morning since its debut in November 2022.

Mark Thompson, chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, called Mattingly “one of the strongest political journalists and anchors we have at CNN.

Updated: CNN is dropping the latest iteration of CNN This Morning as part of a shake-up of its morning lineup.

Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly have anchored the show since August, after several lineup changes since its debut in the fall of 2022. Kasie Hunt’s 5 a.m. Et show, known as Early Start, will expand an hour and take on the CNN This Morning title.

Changes will go into effect later this month.

CNN News Central, meanwhile, will move to 7 a.m. Et and run until 10 a.m. Et, with anchors John Berman, Kate Bolduan and Sara Sidner.

Jim Acosta, who has anchored a weekend show, will anchor CNN Newsroom at 10 a.m. Et and Pamela Brown will anchor an 11 a.m. Et hour starting in the spring. Wolf Blitzer will anchor the hour until she returns from maternity leave. Brown’s show will be called The Bulletin with Pamela Brown.

CNN has told staff it is moving its much-hyped Chris Licht-era morning show, This Morning, from New York to its Atlanta headquarters, two people familiar with the matter have told The Hollywood Reporter.

The show’s 50-person team have been told they can reapply for jobs within the network, according to the people familiar. Phil Mattingly and Poppy Harlow will be moving to new roles, per sources.

CNN will move up its News Central show, hosted by John Berman, Sara Sidner and Kate Bolduan, to help fill the time slot. Early Start host Kasie Hunt will anchor from 5 a.m.-7 a.m. Et, News Central moves from 7 a.m.-10 a.m. and Jim Acosta signs on at 10 a.m. Et.

The network declined comment.

CNN’s new chief, Mark Thompson, sent a note to staffers, below:

Dear all,

I wanted to let the whole CNN family know...

CNN is turning some of the lights out on its efforts to produce morning news.

The network is revamping its entire A.M. schedule as the Warner Bros. Discovery-based cable news outlet continues to grapple with poor ratings.

Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly, who co-anchor “CNN This Morning,” will leave the line-up, while Kasie Hunt’s early-morning program will take on an extra hour. Her show, “Early Start,” will run from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., and will take on the “CNN This Morning” title. CNN will then move “CNN News Central,” anchored by John Berman, Kate Bolduan and Sara Sidner, to a 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. slot, with Jim Acosta and Pamela Brown taking over new hours at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

The moves mean, as CNN CEO Mark Thompson said in a note to staffers Monday, that “we will no longer produce morning programming in...

E. Jean Carroll says looking at Donald Trump during his defamation trial last week was “like looking at nothing” or “an emperor without clothes.”

The author and journalist who sued the former reality star and U.S. president after he claimed that she fabricated a sexual assault allegation against him to sell a book — an allegation a Manhattan federal jury found Trump liable for last year — spoke to CNN This Morning‘s Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly Monday.

With the duo, Carroll discussed being terrified in the days leading up to the trial and how she felt after while hearing the multimillion dollar judgement in her favor last Friday. “He was nothing,” she said while discussing seeing Trump in-person. “He was just — no power. He was zero.”

“He’s an emperor without clothes,” she added. “It’s like looking at nothing.”

Carroll, who sued Trump for sexually abusing her in...

Don Lemon is returning to the media landscape, with a new media company and show on X. Lemon announced the news on X (fka Twitter) Tuesday morning

“I’ve heard you …and I am back, bigger, bolder, freer!,” he wrote. “My new media company’s first project is The Don Lemon Show. It will be available to everyone, easily, whenever and wherever you want it, streaming on the platforms where the conversations are happening. And you’ll find it first on X, the biggest space for free space in the world. I know now more than ever that we need a place for honest debate and discussion without the hall monitors. This is just the beginning so stay tuned.”

The move comes nine months after Lemon was let go from CNN after a divisive several months and 17 years with the network as one of its most recognizable stars.

Lemon also...

Project Healthy Minds, a Millennial & Gen Z-driven mental health tech non-profit, today hosted its second-annual World Mental Health Day Festival.

Over 1,500 cultural leaders, business executives, creators, and mental health advocates participated in the world’s largest festival for World Mental Health Day.

Mainstage conversations featured Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex; Today Show Co-Anchor Carson Daly; mental health advocate and son of the late Robin Williams, Zak Williams; United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy; Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates; Former Senior Advisor to President Obama, David Axelrod; Indianapolis Colts Owner & Vice Chair Kalen Irsay Jackson; CNN This Morning Anchor Poppy Harlow; and more.

Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Co-Founders of The Archewell Foundation, spoke about mental wellness in the digital age alongside United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy.

“Profound and inspiring, the second-annual Project...

All customers of Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming platform can now watch live news content from CNN.

Max is now officially in the news streaming business. Warner Bros. Discovery has launched its new CNN Max content hub on Max, meaning subscribers of the Max with Ads, Max Ad-Free and Ultimate Max Ad-Free plans all get live news, breaking updates, and much more. Wbd first announced it was bringing live news from CNN to Max in August.

“We have the broadest and highest quality entertainment offering, and now will include world-leading news as a meaningful addition for all Max subscribers, at no extra charge,” Wbd’s head of streaming J.B. Perrette said. “CNN Max is differentiated by having 24/7 news at its core from CNN, the leading global news organization, and being available on a scaled streaming service in the U.S., which has a significantly younger and additive audience compared to traditional TV.

The open beta for CNN Max, Warner Bros. Discovery’s 24/7 streaming news offering, officially launched to Max subscribers on Wednesday, and largely mirrors the company’s linear TV lineup.

CNN Max features live programming from CNN US and CNN International, including:

Monday-Friday (Et)

5:00Am-6:00Am Early Start with Kasie Hunt

6:00Am-8:00Am CNN This Morning with Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly

8:00Am-10:00Am CNN Newsroom with Amara Walker, Fredricka Whitfield and Jim Acosta

10:00Am-11:00Am CNN Newsroom with Rahel Solomon

11:00Am-12:00Pm State of the Race with Kasie Hunt

12:00Pm-1:00Pm One World with Zain Asher & Bianna Golodryga

1:00Pm-2:00Pm Amanpour

2:00Pm-3:00Pm CNN Newsroom with Jim Sciutto

3:00Pm-4:00Pm Quest Means Business

4:00Pm-6:00Pm The Lead with Jake Tapper

6:00Pm-7:00Pm The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer...

CNN ventured back into streaming on Wednesday with the launch of CNN Max, a service that diverges from its past efforts in the way that it mirrors so much of the schedule of the linear network.

Primetime shows like Erin Burnett OutFront, Anderson Cooper 360 and The Source With Kaitlan Collins, as well as morning programming including Early Start with Kasie Hunt and CNN This Morning are on the scheduled unveiled on Wednesday. Other shows come from CNN International, including State of the Race with Kasie Hunt, which is debuting on Wednesday as well, and One World, with Bianna Golodryga joining Zain Asher as anchor. Amanpour also is part of the early afternoon schedule.

The CNN hub also features original programming, including Jim Sciutto anchor CNN Newsroom, with Rahel Solomon, Jim Acosta, Amara Walker and Fredricka Whitfield also set to lead coverage during certain dayparts.

The streaming service, currently in Beta form,...

“CNN This Morning” has implemented an updated set design, marking a distinct departure from the programming decisions of former CEO Chris Licht.

The fresh look includes brick detailing and is a CNN New York set design used by several other shows produced by the network.

The brick is back on @CNNThisMorning — the Am show has returned to the "New Day" set that was in use for almost a decade — removing some of the Licht-era look pic.twitter.com/ANFkOfw77A

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 13, 2023

Licht was ousted from the network in June after his brief tenure was characterized by his poorly received programming changes, plummeting advertising revenue and declining ratings. Licht was fired after a controversial live town hall with former President Donald Trump and an explosive profile by the Atlantic’s Tim Alberta.

One of Licht’s primary programming decisions while helming CNN was to reimagine the network’s morning show,...

CNN anchor Laura Coates has moved to CAA for representation, a move that could signal a new era of influence for the talent-agency giant at the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed news outlet.

In a broad overhaul of CNN’s schedule, Coates was recently named to anchor a new 11 p.m. hour at CNN, “Laura Coates Live,” where she will follow Abby Philip, who will hold forth at 10. CAA also represents Erin Burnett, who anchors CNN’s 7 p.m. hour. All told, CAA will represent two of five of the anchors who appear during CNN’s schedule between 7 p.m. to midnight., which usually represent some of the network’s most-watched hours.

In years past, CNN’s primetime was dominated by rival agency UTA, which continues to have a strong roster at CNN. The agency represents Philip — who left CNN for UTA — as well as Anderson Cooper, Jake Tapper, Don Lemon and Alisyn Camerota.

Turner Classic Movies will celebrate the life and career of director William Friedkin, who died on Aug. 7 at the age of 87.

On Thursday, Sept. 14, TCM will air three of Friedkin’s movies: The French Connection at 8 pm, followed by To Live and Die in L.A. (at 10 pm) and The Boys in the Band (at 12:15 am).

More from TVLineTVLine Items: Robert Carlyle's Toxic Role, Wrexham Season 2 Trailer and MoreTVLine Items: Bass Reeves Series Trailer, MasterChef Renewed and MoreBelow Deck Down Under's Margot Sisson Speaks Out on Sexual Harassment Incidents That Led to Two Firings

The tribute continues on Sunday,...

CNN has announced a dramatic shake-up of its programming schedule, including new anchors for the morning, daytime, primetime, and weekend shows. Inside Politics Sunday host Abby Phillip will anchor the news network’s 10 pm hour on weekdays, with chief legal analyst Laura Coates anchoring the 11 pm slot. Elsewhere, chief national affairs analyst Kasie Hunt will anchor Early Start following the departure of the show’s long-time host Christine Romans last month. CNN This Morning is also receiving a makeover following the recent controversy that saw Don Lemon fired after making sexist remarks. The morning show’s long-time co-host Kaitlan Collins also exited the program to host the network’s 9 pm hour, replacing Chris Cuomo, who was fired in 2021 amid an inquiry into whether he aided his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Phil Mattingly, CNN’s chief White House correspondent, will now co-host CNN This Morning alongside the show’s long-time anchor Poppy Harlow.

CNN has announced a sweeping overhaul of its TV lineup, giving weekend anchor and political correspondent Abby Phillip a 10 p.m. slot from New York, with legal analyst Laura Coates taking over at 11 from Washington.

CNN chief White House correspondent Phil Mattingly joins “CNN This Morning” along Poppy Harlow, while chief national affairs analyst Kasie Hunt will anchor “Early Start.” CNN also added a new 3 p.m. Et show anchored by chief investigative correspondent Pamela Brown.

“By expanding the range and depth of our programming lineup across multiple dayparts, we are strengthening our reporting excellence throughout the schedule, elevating our ability to tell great stories across platforms, and doubling down on CNN’s position as the most trusted name in news,” CNN leadership said in a statement.

The network is also shaking up its weekend lineup, with Victor Blackwell anchoring “First of All” on Saturday at 8 a.m. Et. Chris Wallace...

In a dramatic overhaul of its programming schedule, CNN has announced new programs and anchors spanning weekday mornings, dayside and primetime, as well as new weekend programs led by veterans of the channel.

The new lineup will see CNN hand the 10 p.m. hour over to political correspondent and anchor Abby Phillip, with 11 p.m. being hosted by legal analyst and anchor Laura Coates.

In the mornings, Kasie Hunt will anchor Early Start, while chief White House correspondent Phil Mattingly joins Poppy Harlow as the co-anchor of CNN This Morning. Chief investigative correspondent Pamela Brown will anchor a new dayside show out of the nation’s capital.

On the weekends, Victor Blackwell, Christiane Amanpour, Manu Raju and Chris Wallace will all host new programs, with Blackwell based in Atlanta, and Raju taking over the Sunday’s Inside Politics while continuing to cover Capitol Hill.

Wallace will host a panel show...

CNN, grappling with shortfalls in linear TV ratings, unveiled a new programming schedule that will put new faces in key weekday slots and launch new weekend programs for veterans Chris Wallace and Christiane Amanpour.

Pamela Brown, Kasie Hunt, Victor Blackwell and Manu Raju are among the journalists who will have new solo-anchored hours. Allisyn Camerota, who has been holding down late nights for the past few months, will take up longer form reporting and will contribute to the Sunday documentary program “The Whole Story,” CNN said Monday.

“By expanding the range and depth of our programming lineup across multiple dayparts, we are strengthening our reporting excellence throughout the schedule, elevating our ability to tell great stories across platforms, and doubling down on CNN’s position as the most trusted name in news,” the network said in a statement.

CNN unveils the new assignments as many TV-news outlets are preparing for...

CNN unveiled an overhaul of its lineup, with Abby Phillip getting the 10 p.m. Et primetime slot, while Phil Mattingly will co-anchor CNN This Morning along with Poppy Harlow, and Kasie Hunt will helm Early Start.

Other changes: Laura Coates will anchor a new 11 p.m. Et show out of Washington, while Pamela Brown will anchor a 3 p.m. Et weekday show, The Bulletin with Pamela Brown.

On the weekends, Victor Blackwell, Chris Wallace and Christiane Amanpour will host new Saturday morning shows, while Manu Raju will take over the anchor chores on Inside Politics on Sunday morning.

Wallace, who has been hosting the interview show Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? for HBO Max and CNN, will feature a “provocative panel of some of the country’s best reporters and influential commentators” to analyze the latest news and the 2024 presidential race. Amanpour’s show will focus on international developments.

Though the WGA and AMPTP met on Friday to discuss resuming negotiations, SAG president Fran Drescher says the studios are still “not speaking to us.”

During an appearance on “CNN This Morning” on Monday, Drescher promptly confirmed to hosts Poppy Harlow and Victor Blackwell that there has been no movement on talks resuming between the actors’ guild and the studios, and called out the AMPTP’s most recent statement saying “our only playbook is getting people back to work.”

“They’re not speaking to us,” she said. “So I don’t know what that comment was that they want to seek a deal when you have to be able to negotiate and talk to the opposition to make a deal.”

You can watch Drescher’s full comments in the video below.

"They want us to accept a deal that in real money is less than what we made in 2020, and take us through 2026. I'm sorry,...

CNN has hired Kayla Tausche as its new senior White House correspondent.

Tausche joins CNN from CNBC, where she most recently worked as an anchor and senior White House correspondent. Tausche, who co-anchored CNBC’s 2020 election coverage, previously served as the anchor of the channel’s Squawk Alley. She joined CNBC in 2011.

At CNN she will continue to cover the Biden administration, with CNN touting her background in technology, economic and foreign policy coverage as a boon as she covers the 2024 election. Her first day at CNN is Monday.

Tausche is one of the first major hires at CNN since its CEO Chris Licht departed in June, leaving Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley, Eric Sherling and David Leavy in charge of the day to day operations. CNN has a large WHite House team, with Phil Mattingly working as chief White House correspondent, Mj Lee as senior White House correspondent, and a...

WrapPRO is free this week. See the inside scoops, expert analysis and exclusive data subscribers get daily. Click here for more information.

Olivia Metzger’s client list is a who’s who of some of the biggest names in broadcast journalism: MSNBC president Rashida Jones, “CNN This Morning” anchor Poppy Harlow, newly named host of “Meet the Press” Kristen Welker, CNN senior legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid and Fox News’ Ben Hall, who was recently gravely injured while covering Ukraine and now a New York Times bestselling author.

It helps to have connections: Before she founded her talent development firm, OManagement, she counted names like Lester Holt and Jeff Zucker as colleagues at NBCUniversal and worked as an agent for 10 years at CAA.

Not bad for someone who started her career as an unpaid NBC intern after “having failed out of college.” She studied at Hartwick College but “didn’t...

One notable thing about the headlines coming out of CNN in recent weeks is something they don’t include: news about CNN itself.

Since the exit of former chief Chris Licht in June after a tenure marked by tumult and unwanted publicity, the gossip mill around the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed news outlet has ceased its once-dependable roar. There are no leaks about what happened at CNN’s morning editorial meeting, or chatter about how current leaders Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley and Eric Sherling talk (or don’t) to the staff. There is even less hubbub about David Leavy, the longtime consigliere who was recently installed to oversee business affairs. and is a longtime consigliere to Warner Bros. Discovery honcho David Zaslav,

People familiar with the network say there is a sense of “relief” within its ranks. It won’t last for very long.

To be sure, CNN still has work to do.

CNN has attached a name and a launch date for Kaitlan Collins’ new primetime show.

“The Source with Kaitlan Collins” is set to premiere in its 9 p.m. Et timeslot on Monday, July 10. The new show, whose name vaguely references the network’s now-canceled “Reliable Sources,” hosted by Brian Stelter, will replace “CNN Primetime,” in the 9 p.m. hour, which Collins has been hosting over the past few weeks.

The new show will officially shift Collins off of “CNN This Morning” to primetime, leaving Collins’ co-host Poppy Harlow to host the morning program with a rotation of CNN guest anchors without a permanent co-host. While former CEO Chris Licht, who was ousted from the network in early June, lined up the re-imagined morning program in fall 2022 with Collins, Harlow and Don Lemon, the trio has since been broken up after Lemon exited the network in April.

When Collins’ primetime move was announced in May,...

One of the most influential and alluring jobs in journalism just opened. Now the company trying to fill the position is waiting to see if anyone really wants it.

Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to move deliberately rather than quickly in its search for a new CEO for CNN. Executives are telling staffers and TV agents that it will likely take a few months to fill the role that Chris Licht held for one turbulent year. Licht, the TV news veteran and “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” showrunner, was ousted last week after spearheading a series of programming moves and talent decisions that kept headlines about CNN circulating more often than anything else produced by the newsroom. Licht’s final error was taking part in a profile The Atlantic published June 2 — 15,000 words detailing a “Meltdown at CNN.” Numerous statements from Licht in the story and his questionable judgment in allowing...

Chris Licht has left the building that houses CNN’s New York headquarters, but the things he did while he was there are likely to last a little longer.

Executives at the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed news outlet intend to follow the programming strategy Licht approved during his 13 months at the operation, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Yes, Kaitlan Collins will lead CNN’s 9 p.m. hour. Dana Bash is still scheduled to take over the noontime program “Inside Politics.” Poppy Harlow will remain at the helm of CNN’s new morning show, paired with someone new (Phil Mattingly and Sara Sidner have made frequent appearances in recent weeks). And “News Central,” the CNN daytime show that aims to lend the tension of breaking news to the usual proceedings, is backed by much of the staff, these people said.

CNN declined to make executives available for comment.

The stunning departure of CNN CEO Chris Licht — after only a year on the job and just days after a brutal profile in The Atlantic — was welcomed with a sigh of relief by staff, according to multiple CNN insiders.

But that sigh was mixed with a continued sense of anxiety, say staffers, who find themselves entering the 2024 election cycle without clear leadership, and with uncertainty about CNN’s strategic priorities as part of Warner Bros. Discovery, which is run by David Zaslav, an executive known for rolling up his sleeves and getting involved in the nitty-gritty of his business lines.

For the time being, CNN’s editorial and news departments are being led by a trio of top executives: veteran CNN executive Amy Entelis, head of editorial Virginia Moseley and programming chief Eric Sherling. The commercial and marketing arms of CNN will be led by David Leavy, a longtime Zaslav...

The news of CNN CEO Chris Licht’s departure from the cable news network came abruptly Wednesday morning, but was not necessarily a shock to many staffers and onlookers who have observed Licht’s turbulent tenure filled with layoffs, shakeups and high doses of criticism along the way.

Here, we take a closer look at Licht’s reign at the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned network and if the writing of the CEO’s exit was on the wall the whole time.

Also Read:

Chris Licht Out at CNN Amid Trump Town Hall Fallout, Ratings Plunge and Staff Uproar

April 2022

Licht officially takes over as chairman and CEO of CNN Global from Jeff Zucker amid the ongoing Warner Bros. Discovery merger, following the announcement of the transition in February 2022. Licht assumed Zucker’s previous responsibilities — minus leading WarnerMedia’s sports programming, which was taken off Licht’s plate.

Ahead of the transition,...

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav addressed the ousting of his handpicked CNN CEO Chris Licht in an internal memo to employees on Wednesday.

“I have known Chris for many years and have enormous respect for him, personally and professionally. This job was never going to be easy, especially at a time of great disruption and transformation, and Chris poured his heart and soul into it,” Zaslav wrote. “He has a deep love for journalism and this business and that has been evident throughout his tenure. Unfortunately, things did not work out the way we had hoped – and ultimately that’s on me. I take responsibility. Needless to say, we appreciate Chris’ efforts and dedication and wish him all the best.”

Licht’s tenure, which began when he assumed the position of CEO and Chairman of CNN Worldwide in April 2022, was mired in criticism from former and current CNN staffers alike,...

Chris Licht has exited CNN a little over a year after he was hired as CEO, a short but turbulent tenure at the cable network mired in controversy, plunging ratings and a horribly haywire Donald Trump town hall event that irretrievably broke staff morale.

Licht was handpicked as CEO and Chairman of CNN Worldwide last April by Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav, who announced his firing Wednesday morning in an editorial call. The decision is effective immediately, according to a Wednesday morning release from Wbd.

“I have great respect for Chris, personally and professionally,” Zaslav wrote. “The job of leading CNN was never going to be easy, especially at a time of huge disruption and transformation, and he has poured his heart and soul into it. While we know we have work to do as we look to identify a new leader, we have absolute confidence in the team...

Chris Licht is stepping down as the chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, ending a tumultuous tenure as the first leader of the network under parent Warner Bros. Discovery.

Licht’s departure comes after a bombshell profile in The Atlantic infuriated staffers, already upset over the way that a recent town hall with President Donald Trump was handled.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav told staffers in CNN’s morning call that Licht was leaving and that a search was on for a new CEO. “It didn’t work out,” he said.

In a memo to staffers, Zaslav wrote, “This job was never going to be easy, especially at a time of great disruption and transformation, and Chris poured his heart and soul into it. He has a deep love for journalism and this business and that has been evident throughout his tenure. Unfortunately, things did not work out the...

Some multi-millionaires enjoy collecting vintage automobiles. Others take to the charity circuit or try to influence politics from behind the scenes. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has his own hobbies. One of them is taking a crowbar to what he believes are underperforming cable assets and renovating them wholesale.

Zaslav has swung the wrecking ball time and again in his years leading the company once known as Discovery Communications, a collection of cable networks that had specialized in so-called “unscripted” programming — reality shows and documentary series. In 2008, he struck a pact with Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions to transform the network once known as Discovery Health into OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network; scrapped a network once co-owned in part by The New York Times to create the true-crime stalwart Investigation Discovery; and flipped the outlet once known as Discovery Travel & Living Network into Planet Green, a network focused on the environment.

CNN chief Chris Licht told staffers Monday he wants to help them make the news rather than play a central figure in it.

In the wake of a devastating profile of the CNN CEO published Friday by The Atlantic, Licht set about soothing frayed nerves Monday by telling employees on the news outlet’s regular morning call that “I should not be in the news unless it’s taking arrows for you. Your work is what should be written about,” according to two people familiar with the matter.

The words are the first from Licht to be made public since the piece was unveiled. Thanks to a rich vein of unfettered access provided over months, the piece detailed the executive’s struggles — and some of his insecurities — during his first year on the job at the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed news outlet. David Zaslav, the CEO of the parent company,...

A year and a half after the termination of Chris Cuomo left the hour open, CNN has found a new 9 p.m. anchor.

Kaitlan Collins, currently the co-anchor of the channel’s CNN This Morning, will officially take over the hour. CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and Collins announced the promotion at the Warner Bros. Discovery upfront Wednesday morning in a video message.

Collins of course moderated CNN’s town hall with former President Donald Trump last week. While the town hall proved controversial, with a seemingly pro-Trump audience signaling approval of some of his more outrageous comments, CNN CEO Chris Licht defended it in a meeting with employees the next morning saying that America was “well served” by the event.

He also heaped praise on Collins “for what I can only call a masterful performance last night,” Licht said on the call. “I couldn’t be more proud of her...

Kaitlan Collins will officially be moving from “CNN This Morning” to take over the coveted 9 p.m. slot on the network. CNN CEO Chris Licht announced the news on Wednesday as part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s upfront presentation in New York.

Collins will be anchoring the 9 p.m. slot regularly starting in June. This currently untitled program will air nightly and will focus on exposing “uncovered angles” and challenging “conventional wisdom to make sure viewers are seeing a story from every side.”

“In her new program, officially launching later this summer, Kaitlan will showcase why she’s one of the top reporters and interviewers in the game,” Licht said in a press release. “She is a smart and gifted journalist who we’ve all seen hold lawmakers and newsmakers accountable. She pushes politicians off their talking points, gets real answers — and as everyone who’s worked with her knows — breaks a lot of news.

Updated: CNN Worldwide CEO Chris Licht confirmed that Kaitlan Collins would be taking over the 9 p.m. Et primetime slot, filling a major hole in the network schedule as it faces sagging ratings.

The move had been expected, as Collins, who is co-anchor of the network’s morning show, also has been among the rotating hosts to have filled the slot since the firing of Chris Cuomo in December, 2021. Licht announced the move in a memo to staffers on Wednesday, and later Collins appeared at the Warner Bros. Discovery upfront presentation along with Licht and Anderson Cooper.

“The new show is going to feature thoughtful perspectives, spirited conversation and respectful debate around the day’s top news, and I will be in good company,” Collins told advertisers.

Collins moderated the CNN town hall last week with Donald Trump, which ignited intense media debate and criticism, including inside the network, over...

Axios media reporter Sara Fischer thinks the biggest challenge facing outgoing [/link]NBCUniversal advertising chief Linda Yaccarino were she to become the new CEO of Twitter under Elon Musk is dealing with the embattled owner’s “erratic” behavior.

She’ll have to “convince Elon Musk not to fire her in a few weeks,” Fischer told “[/link]CNN This Morning” on Friday.

The role of Twitter CEO would also be a challenge for Yaccarino because it will require a shift to courting smaller and mid-sized businesses rather than the big accounts on Madison Avenue.

NBCU announced early Friday that Yaccarino is leaving the company amid widespread speculation that she will take the helm at the social media platform.

Twitter owner and current CEO Musk on Thursday posted that he hired a new leader for the company he renamed X Corp. in April, referring to “her” but not announcing the woman’s name. As of early Friday,...