CNN names former New York Times CEO Mark Thompson as its chief

Mark Thompson is stepping in as the next CEO and chairman of CNN.

Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery said Wednesday it appointed Thompson as the next leader of the cable news network, a few short months after the ouster of Chris Licht.

Thompson previously served as CEO and president of The New York Times from 2012 to 2020, as well as director-general of the BBC from 2004 to 2012. Thompson’s first day at the CNN office will be Oct. 9, he told CNN staffers in a memo.

“I am confident he is exactly the leader we need to take the helm of CNN at this pivotal time,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav told staff in a note Wednesday. “Big thanks to all of you for your patience, commitment, and hard work. Simply stated: the real strength of CNN is its people, and you continue to set the highest standard in all that you do.”

The appointment of Thompson, a 40-year news veteran who was recently knighted for his services in media, occurs just as the presidential campaign cycle in the U.S. accelerates.