Name: “They Do Not Want to See Him Go”: After Remaking CNN and Antagonizing Trump, Jeff Zucker Eyes the Exits
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“They Do Not Want to See Him Go”: After Remaking CNN and Antagonizing Trump, Jeff Zucker Eyes the Exits

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In October speculation about the future of CNN began to swirl following that network president Jeff Zucker’s contract renewal was up in the air. Asked about his plans during an internal meeting, Zucker was noncommittal, the Wall Street Journal, which also reported that he wouldn’t make a decision on whether to stay at CNN until after the election. At the time, a knowledgeable source told me, “If and when he leaves, it will be on his timetable and his terms.”The timetable still hasn’t been confirmed, but there’s talk in the upper ranks of WarnerMedia that Zucker is expected to leave CNN in the first quarter of 2021, according to someone familiar with the matter. It wouldn’t happen before the inauguration, sources said, and one person close to Zucker cautioned that nothing’s a done deal and “a final decision has not been made.” Zucker has more than a year left on his current contract, I can confirm. He last re-signed late in the spring of 2018, as I at the time, in a deal that locked him in through the election. (CNN declined to comment.)Zucker’s departure would bring the curtain down on an exhilarating eight-year run that not only revived the network but turned CNN into one of the central characters in the Trump saga. Zucker and the outgoing president have a long history dating back to their time together at NBC, where Zucker famously greenlit The Apprentice. Zucker and CNN drew for lavishing Trump with outsize attention during his 2016 campaign, but as the chaos of the Trump White House took hold, CNN became one of the administration’s most aggressive chroniclers, putting the network in the crosshairs of the MAGA faithful. Trump was in AT&amp;T’s acquisition of CNN’s parent company, now called WarnerMedia, and while the network gave a platform to various administration loyalists, it also came to be seen as Trumpworld’s Enemy of the People No. 1. At the same time, the Trump news cycle has been for CNN, giving the network a huge ratings boost and elevating many of its anchors, correspondents, and contributors to new heights of prominence. During the week of November 3, CNN’s viewership the cable and broadcast news networks for election coverage.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A lot of that air may begin to leak out of the balloon once the anticipated normalcy of the Biden White House sets in, which would make this a reasonable time for Zucker to take a bow. But if the sunset of the 45th presidency has anything to do with his expected departure, so too may the internal machinations of WarnerMedia. There’s reportedly been friction between Zucker and Jason Kilar, who was named CEO of WarnerMedia in April. As the Journal , and my sources confirmed, Zucker was blindsided by a recent restructuring in which he lost oversight of CNN’s financial, human resources, and communications departments. Sources told me Zucker was given less than a day’s notice about the change before it took effect. (Kilar, meanwhile, has that CNN might be hitting the sale block.)“People really love Jeff and they do not want to see him go,” a CNN journalist told me. “I think a lot of people will be devastated if he does leave the network, and are concerned that you won’t be able to find someone with his leadership style to fill that role.”&nbsp;Another CNN staffer was more blunt: “Jason Kilar has no idea what’s about to walk out the door.”As for what Zucker’s post-CNN career might bring, the executive has long hinted about a possible future in politics. In a New York Times this past May, Ben Smith asked him if he would be interested in running for mayor of New York next year, and Zucker couldn’t resist sprinkling a little fuel on the fire. “I always like a challenge,” Zucker said. But earlier this month, according to Smith, a source close to the CNN chief on that possibility, leaving Zucker’s next act anyone’s guess.More Great Stories From Vanity Fair&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;— Ivanka and Jared’s Is an Island Alone— Inside Don Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle’s Supposed — Why Mike Carries Real Risks— Ivanka Trump Was My Best Friend. Now She’s — As Trump Clings to Power, His Allies — , Completely Bonkers, Most Excellent Year— After Biden’s Victory, Can the Media Tune Out ?— From the Archive: Donald Trump Was the in History— Not a subscriber? to receive full access to VF.com and the complete online archive now.Most Popular is Vanity Fair’s senior media correspondent and the author of **. He previously worked at publications including Politico and the New York Observer. Follow him on and .The freshest-and most essential-updates from Washington, Wall Street, and Silicon Valley.

In October speculation about the future of CNN began to swirl following that network president Jeff Zucker’s contract renewal was up in the air. Asked about his plans during an internal meeting, Zucker was noncommittal, the Wall Street Journal, which also reported that he wouldn’t make a decision on whether to stay at CNN until after the election. At the time, a knowledgeable source told me, “If and when he leaves, it will be on his timetable and his terms.”The timetable still hasn’t been confirmed, but there’s talk in the upper ranks of WarnerMedia that Zucker is expected to leave CNN in...

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Vanity Fair is a monthly magazine of popular culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast in the United States.  The first version of Vanity Fair was published from 1913 to 1936. The imprint was revived in 1983 and currently includes five international editions of the magazine. As of 2018, the Editor-in-Chief is Radhika Jones.

“They Do Not Want to See Him Go”: After Remaking CNN and Antagonizing Trump, Jeff Zucker Eyes the Exits

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