CNN’s Chris Licht says he wasn’t prepared for ‘absolute level of scrutiny’ becoming CEO: A ‘smack in the face’

CNN boss Chris Licht did not expect the “absolute level of scrutiny” that would be pointed in his direction when he took the gig as the network’s chairman and CEO.

“When you take a job like this you know you are giving of yourself and this is all you’re going to do in the foreseeable future,” Licht said Thursday at an event hosted by the Paley Center for Media, according to the New York Post. 

He continued, “The one part of the job that has proven itself to be a little bit more of a smack in the face [more] than I probably would have prepared myself for is just the absolute level of scrutiny.” 

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Licht stressed to CNN correspondent Pamela Brown, who conducted the interview with her boss, that he knew what he got himself into when taking the job but didn’t realize how tough it was until he assumed the role.

CNN CEO Christ Licht admitted Don Lemon is a “lightning rod.” (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery)

Licht is approaching one year as CNN’s CEO after he was tapped to replace his predecessor Jeff Zucker, who was forced out following revelations of an affair he had with a fellow executive at the network and his aiding of then-Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the early months of the COVID pandemic. 

It has been quite the uphill battle for Licht since his takeover. CNN’s viewership among the key 25-52 age demographic has continued to decline, reaching a 10-year low. 

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An ongoing headache for Licht is figuring what do with CNN’s primetime programming. The network’s 9 p.m. ET time slot has been vacant ever since the December 2021 ousting of anchor Chris Cuomo. And the weeknight debacle only escalated when he decided to pull Don Lemon from primetime to head to mornings, extending CNN’s vacancy by an additional two hours. 

Licht has had a revolving door of fill-in hosts from Jim Acosta to Jake Tapper. It was reported this week that Laura Coates, who tapped last fall to fill the 11 p.m. ET time slot will be pulled. 

Jeff Zucker, left, was replaced by CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht in 2022. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

Daytime programming has also been an obstacle for Licht, who recently revamped the lineup hoping that changing the format of CNN’s broadcasts will revitalize interest in the network among viewers. 

Network insiders have said Licht is struggling to earn the trust among the rank and file who were loyal to predecessor Zucker, who had a much more hands-on approach when it came to editorial decision-making. Licht dug himself deeper in the hole when he implemented layoffs last fall after assuring staff last summer that CNN would not face mass job losses. 

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But perhaps the first major controversy to emerge under his watch is the drama that has unfolded both on and off camera from his marquee morning program “CNN This Morning,” widely seen as Licht’s pet project following his stints as the executive producer of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and “CBS This Morning.”

Lemon has appeared in the tabloids for his apparent frosty relationship with his new co-hosts Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow. In one incident, Lemon scolded Collins for interrupting him on-air that left her visibly upset, according to one witness who spoke with Fox News Digital. 

Don Lemon anchors “CNN This Morning” alongside Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins.  (Mike Coppola/Getty Images for CNN)

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In February, Lemon caused a firestorm of controversy when he argued that women like 51-year-old GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley was “past her prime,” citing Google as his source while stunning his female co-anchors in the process. Licht forced him to issue a groveling apology to his colleagues and ordered him to undergo sensitivity training, but the backlash was swift as conservatives and liberals alike blasted the CNN anchor, who was even mocked by the Biden White House and at this year’s Oscars ceremony. 

Licht’s dramatic Lemon saga only got worse earlier this month after Variety ran an explosive exposé on his misogyny that dates back 15 years that involved harassment and insults towards female colleagues. 

On top of that, “CNN This Morning” has been met with dismal ratings, falling below the Zucker-era program “New Day” that Licht canceled last year.