When CNN’s parent company, Warner Media, merged with Discovery last November, John Malone, the libertarian billionaire who holds a controlling interest in the conglomerate, wasted no time making it clear there was a new sheriff in town. His first order of business—reforming the left-wing practices that have tarnished the news network’s brand and led to 58 percent of Republicans saying they no longer trust the outlet as a news source. Where better to start than at the top?
While conventional wisdom holds that CNN’s former chief, Jeff Zucker, was ousted over a sexual harassment scandal involving star anchor Chris Cuomo, insiders say the incident may have simply been a pretext. Cuomo’s foibles, combined with Zucker’s own affair with his chief marketing officer, gave Malone an easy opening to do what he knew would be necessary in order to return the network to its straight-news roots.
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