Chris Licht, Newtown Native, Named Head Of CNN: Report

NEWTOWN, CT — Longtime television news executive Chris Licht, who grew up in Newtown, is expected to be named chairman and CEO of CNN Global, replacing Jeff Zucker, who resigned last month following a relationship scandal, the News-Times and other media outlets reported.

Licht joins CNN from CBS, where he is executive vice president of special programming, and before that he worked at MSNBC.

He was instrumental in the creation and success of shows such as "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," "CBS This Morning," and "Morning Joe," the latter on MSNBC.

According to Wikipedia, Licht graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism and political science.

The Laurel reported that Licht is expected to receive the new CNN title in April, when the news network is merged with Discovery, Inc.

Zucker ran CNN for nearly a decade before his resignation, during which time he oversaw a shift to documentary style shows, and reality-based programs, such as the popular food shows of Anthony Bourdain and Stanley Tucci.

Licht will have his work cut out for him at CNN, which has continues to grapple with the fallout from its firing of Chris Cuomo.

Cuomo was fired by the network late last year, after executives learned that he had crossed ethical lines when he tried to help his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, during the scandal that eventually led to the governor's resignation.

The network's ratings had been falling in recent months, according to Forbes, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine may have helped CNN gain viewers.