Thompson, who previously helmed The New York Times and BBC, will be tasked with turning around CNN following a rocky period under prior chief Chris Licht. During Licht's tenure, CNN faced criticism over its handling of a controversial town hall with former President Donald Trump and saw the roll-out of its CNN+ streaming service scrapped weeks after its debut. Discovery CEO David Zaslav credited the 66-year old news industry veteran with "transform[ing] for the digital age" both The New York Times and BBC. One of Thompson's first tasks is expected to be the launch of CNN Max, a news service that will feature on Warner Bros. CNN Max will focus on breaking news and analysis, moving away from the more lifestyle-heavy content favored by CNN+.

Source: CNN August 30, 2023 15:22 UTC