Warner Bros Discovery taps media veteran Thompson as CEO of CNN

Warner Bros Discovery named Mark Thompson as CEO of CNN on Wednesday, tasking the former New York Times and BBC chief with reviving a news network beset by sagging ratings and falling profits.

Thompson succeeds Chris Licht, who stepped down in June after a rocky one year at the helm that included a divisive town hall with former Republican US President Donald Trump and the shutdown of CNN+ streaming service just weeks after its launch.

With Thompson, 66, Warner Bros Discovery is turning to an executive with ample experience at the top level, unlike Licht – a former TV producer who had worked on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”