Several media outlets seem to be gushing over CNN’s move to hire Chris Licht, the current showrunner for Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show,” as the future president of the network.
Licht, 50, will assume the role of Chairman and CEO of CNN when Discovery and WarnerMedia merge in the spring. The veteran news producer was tapped for the role in order to “dial down” the liberal “partisanship” of the network, Axios reported.
Outlets, like Axios and CNBC, are praising Licht’s resume in the industry, with CNBC reporting that he has “built a reputation in the television industry as a turnaround guru.” He previously founded “Morning Joe” in 2007, according to the outlet. Axios reported that he boosted ratings for “CBS This Morning” as executive producer, before moving on to Colbert’s “Late Show.”
While Licht’s shows have been successful, they have all appeared to adopt a liberal, partisan tone, particularly “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Colbert is staunchly pro-gun control and was a harsh critic of former President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, many of Colbert’s political jokes have been criticized and mocked as unfunny since Trump took office. Licht also created the show “Our Cartoon President,” a parody of the Trump administration that aired in 2017, according to a press release from Viacom.
Meet Our #CartoonPresident’s most trusted advisors, his closest allies and his most formidable foes. The new #Showtime series from @StephenAtHome, @ChrisLicht and @RJFried, premieres February 11. pic.twitter.com/6KujelI5PL
— Our Cartoon President on Showtime (@CartoonPres) January 6, 2018
Despite his entire professional history suggesting otherwise, Axios wrote that Licht and Discovery CEO David Zaslav will “push CNN back to hard news” while moving away from “red-hot liberal opining.” Variety reported that Zaslav shares “qualities similar” to former CNN President Jeff Zucker, who left the network following an affair with Chief Marketing Officer Allison Gollust.
Licht will take the reigns as CNN’s ratings continue to tank amid seemingly nonstop scandals, including sexual assault allegations against Chris Cuomo, cover-ups of sexual misconduct allegations against Cuomo’s brother former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Don Lemon’s current suit for the alleged assault of a male bartender.