Former CEO of New York Times, BBC in Line to Helm CNN

Mark Thompson, the former New York Times and BBC chief executive, is one of the top candidates to head CNN, people familiar with the matter told Semafor and the Times.

CNN's former CEO, Chris Licht, departed the cable network in early June, after a series of missteps that were thrust into the limelight in a bombshell profile by The Atlantic. Since then, CNN has been run by a group of three long-time CNN executives: Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley and Eric Sherling. David Leavy was also brought on as chief operating officer. 

Thompson left the Times in 2020 after having been at the company for eight years. He is now one of several candidates in the lineup, Semafor reported, citing three people with knowledge of the recruiting process.

It appears that David Zaslav, CEO of CNN’s parent, Warner Bros. Discovery is casting around for a candidate outside the group currently heading the company, according to the Times. Zaslav told CNN staff in June that the hunt for a new chief could take months, the Times reported. The search may be expedited as the 2024 presidential campaigns kick off.

Thompson’s experience in television and his ability to breathe new life into publications — as he did during his time at the Times — make him an attractive candidate, according to Semafor. During his tenure at the Times, digital revenue quadrupled and subscriptions grew almost 10-fold. 

Thompson recalled in an interview with McKinsey & Co. in August 2020 that he had stepped into the role at the Times with lofty subscriptions goals and the “cold eye” of an outsider.