Jeff Zucker, president of CNN and parent company WarnerMedia’s news and sports division, resigned Wednesday as a relationship with another senior executive was revealed.
In a memo to staff, Zucker said that during the investigation into the behavior of former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, Zucker acknowledged a consensual relationship with CNN chief marketing officer Allison Gollust that goes back 20 years, to when both were with NBCUniversal.
“I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years,“ Zucker said in the memo. ”I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn’t. I was wrong.”
”Jeff and I have been close friends and professional partners for over 20 years,” Gollust said in her own memo. “Recently, our relationship changed during COVID. I regret that we didn't disclose it at the right time. I'm incredibly proud of my time at CNN and look forward to continuing the great work we do every day."
WarnerMedia is expected to be spun off by AT&T and become part of Discovery in the second quarter.
Zucker, who has been in charge as CNN‘s ratings plunged following last year’s presidential campaign, had announced plans last year to step down when his contract expired.
But Zucker is reportedly good friends with Discovery CEO David Zaslav, another NBCU colleague, and there was speculation about Zucker having a senior role in the new company, which will be called Warner Bros. Discovery.
Zucker has also been overseeing the launch of CNN Plus, a subscription streaming service.
Kilar said the company would be announcing an interim leadership plan for CNN.
Starting as a wunderkind who quickly rose from an Olympics intern at NBC to executive producer of the Today show, Zucker has had a high-profile but sometimes controversial career.
He became head of entertainment at NBC and put Donald Trump on the air with The Apprentice. But he had few relationships in Hollywood and NBC’s primetime ratings crumbled.
He attempted to manage a late-night transition from Jay Leno to Conan O’Brien. He gave Leno a show at 10 p.m. weeknights that drew low ratings, riled up affiliates and dragged down the Tonight Show franchise.
Zucker wound up yanking O’Brien, returning Leno to the Tonight Show desk.
Zucker was rewarded by being named CEO of NBCUniversal. He left that job when NBCU was acquired by Comcast.
After moving to CNN in 2013, Zucker let Trump have frequent access to TV as he began his unlikely 2016 run for president. After Trump was elected, he and his followers would deride CNN as “fake news.” ■
