Discovery's CEO has sparked confusion by calling CNN 'a leader in news to the left' ahead of his company's acquisition of the network, though it appears to have been awkward phrasing to describe the company's portfolio, rather than political leanings.
CEO David Zaslav, who will lead the combined company after Discovery merges with CNN parent WarnerMedia later this year, made the remark in an interview with CNBC on Friday, prompting laughter from host Joe Kernan.
In the interview, which was closely watched as Zaslav made his first public comments since the ouster of CNN boss Jeff Zucker, the Discovery CEO was describing the new company's portfolio of offerings.
'We have this great entertainment menu, which should keep people in the home, from the kids to the grandparents. Why would they go anywhere else? And then we're the leader in news to the left...' said Zaslav, gesturing to his left.
Kernan, who makes no secret of his conservative leanings, burst out laughing as he responded: 'Definitely to the left. Did you say to the left? Man you weren't kidding.'
The CNBC host, chuckling, then apologized and withdrew his comment, saying 'I probably shouldn't have said that.'
Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who will lead the combined company after Discovery merges with CNN parent WarnerMedia later this year, called CNN 'a leader in news to the left'
Joe Kernan, who makes no secret of his conservative leanings, burst out laughing as he responded: 'Definitely to the left. Did you say to the left? Man you weren't kidding'
Zaslav was making his first public comments since the ouster of CNN boss Jeff Zucker (above)
Zaslav was cut off and did not finish his thought, but a spokesperson for Discovery told the New York Post that he was not using the term 'left' in the political sense, but rather to organize his conversation about Discovery's portfolio.
Later in the CNBC interview, Zaslav referred to growth 'on the right side of the company,' which he described as including WarnerMedia-owned HBO and a growing portfolio of sports rights.
CNBC posted a clip of the exchange on Twitter, but later deleted it.
Mediaite, which initially reported on the comment as a political remark, later issued a correction to clarify that 'Zaslav was referring to the left side of the Discovery portfolio, not the left side of the political aisle.'
Nevertheless, the remark went viral, prompting mirth and mockery from both the left and the right, with one Twitter user remarking: 'Bias confirmed.'
Keith Olbermann, the former MSNBC commentator, responded in a tweet saying: 'Well Sir, if you really mean this I have a great programming idea for you at 9 PM.'
Zaslav's remarks come just days after the spectacular ouster of CNN boss Zucker, who resigned under a cloud this week.
Zucker said he was leaving for violating corporate policy by not disclosing the nature of his relationship with his second-in-command, Allison Gollust.
But he was reportedly given no choice by WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar, who characterized the change as his decision at an emotional meeting with CNN Washington staff members on Wednesday night.
WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar (above) reportedly gave Zucker no choice but to resign or be fired after his 'open secret' workplace relationship was exposed by Chris Cuomo's lawyers
Allison Gollust is seen arriving home last night with a Goyard bag, Christian Louboutin heels, and a pricey tweed coat
Zucker said he was leaving for violating corporate policy by not disclosing the nature of his relationship with his second-in-command, Allison Gollust, seen last night
Zaslav on Friday described Zucker as a 'good friend' but declined to answer specific questions about his departure, saying that Discovery must maintain its distance from internal affairs at WarnerMedia until the government signs off on the merger.
'Jeff is a good friend of mine. I can't speak to this issue. We don't own the company yet. We're not involved in any of that,' Zaslav said.
Zaslav also rejected rumors about the potential role of John Malone, a billionaire Trump donor, who is the CEO of Liberty Media, Discovery's largest shareholder.
Kernen raised 'conjecture that John Malone is behind the curtain' in Zucker's ouster,
Zaslav replied: 'None of us had anything to do with it. We're running our business.'
In the intervew, Zaslav praised CNN, saying that the cable network 'has the greatest group of journalists in the world.'
'For the long term,' Zaslav said, CNN 'is going to be a fantastic asset.'
'In terms of CNN+ we couldn't be more excited about the fact that they've been hiring great journalists,' he said, likely referring to the hiring of former Fox News anchor Chris Wallace.
CNN staffers and media insiders are speculating over why WarnerMedia bosses and AT&T chiefs really wanted him gone, since the affair was an 'open-secret' for years.
One theory centers around AT&T's deal to sell WarnerMedia - which owns CNN - to Discovery. The $43billion deal is almost done, after years of attempts by AT&T to spin the network off.
Billionaire John Malone, who has made no secret of his dislike of CNN under Zucker's leadership, is said to have made it clear corporate policies must be followed after it was revealed CNN's president Jeff Zucker had not disclosed a workplace relationship
Under the merger, WarnerMedia and Discovery will become one new media powerhouse - Warner Bros. Discovery. Zucker was meant to keep a key role in the new company.
Malone is a supporter of Zucker's most emboldened enemy, Donald Trump. He donated $250,000 to Trump's inauguration in 2017 and has made no secret of the fact that he, like Trump and millions of others, think CNN has become too left-wing and biased.
'I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with, and actually have journalists, which would be unique and refreshing,' he told CNBC in 2019.
'I do believe good journalism could have a role in this future portfolio that Discovery-TimeWarner's going to represent.'
Deadline reported last night that it was Malone who insisted on Zucker's departure after learning of the affair.
'Discovery's largest shareholder, John Malone, a critic of CNN, made it known that corporate procedures had to be followed to the letter in regards to Zucker, we hear,' Deadline reported on Wednesday.
'Being that WarnerMedia's standards of business conduct require disclosure of relationships that develop with a boss and subordinate, Zucker's goose was officially cooked,' the report added.
Zucker and Allison Gollust had worked together for 20 years. The pair claim their relationship turned romantic during the pandemic but others say it far predates COVID, and was common knowledge for as many as eight years.
Zucker stepped down on Wednesday, admitting he was 'wrong' not to have told the company about the relationship.
For legal reasons, Discovery must avoid getting involved with WarnerMedia until the deal has been approved by the U.S. government.
However, in November last year after news of the impending merger was announced, Malone made it clear that he was not a fan of the direction CNN had gone in under Zucker, who took the helm in 2013.
Jeff Zucker and Andrew Cuomo are pictured with actress Tina Fey in 2008. New reports suggest Zucker was advising Cuomo on how to handle the COVID-19 crisis in New York when it hit, and helped turn him into an international star
AT&T bought WarnerMedia (formerly Time Warner) in 2018 for $84billion. It was a disastrous deal that the telecoms giant has been trying to unwind for years. It, finally, is now in the finalizing stage of a $43billion sale of WarnerMedia to Discovery.
According to Puck media reporter Dylan Byers, Zucker and Gollust were due to take on senior roles within the new company, under the leadership of Discovery CEO David Zaslav.
But speculation has been growing over whether Zucker was forced out at CNN over his open-secret affair not because bosses had any real issue with it, but because the scandal of it and his ongoing war with Chris Cuomo could have threatened AT&T's deal with Discovery.
It has also been reported that Gollust and Zucker were privately advising former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo through the pandemic - a huge breach of ethics.
According to sources cited by Rolling Stone on Thursday, the pair breached journalism ethics to help Cuomo behind the scenes in the same way that his younger brother Chris did.
Chris was fired from CNN for helping Andrew through a sexual misconduct scandal and in the messy fallout from his departure, the affair between Zucker and Gollust has surfaced.
Post a Comment