Chris Licht to become new CNN president following Jeff Zucker ouster

Longtime television producer Chris Licht is set to become the next president of CNN following Jeff Zucker’s resignation earlier this month.

Licht is known for creating MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and revamping others shows such as “CBS This Morning” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” where he currently serves as a showrunner and executive producer.

He is expected to step into the new role after CNN’s corporate parent, WarnerMedia, gets acquired by Discovery. The much-anticipated merger is set to take place sometime in April.

While none of the parties involved have yet commented on the anticipated appointment, CNN reported Saturday that Licht’s hiring will be officially announced next week.

The news was first reported by Puck.news, saying that Licht emerged as a top contender for Zucker’s position after Discovery CEO David Zaslav showed interest in him for the role.

Zucker stepped down as CNN’s president on Feb. 2 after failing to disclose a “consensual relationship with my closest colleague.” The issue surfaced as the network conducted an investigation into former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo for helping his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, manage sexual misconduct allegations made against him.

Licht has more than 20 years of television news experience and has earned a reputation as a sharp politics and news producer as well as a hands-on talent manager.

His current contract with CBS is set to end in April, just in time to takeover his new role as CNN gets ready to undergo a shakeup following the Discovery-WarnerMedia merger. CNBC