CNN names Mark Thompson, former BBC and NYT exec, as its new leader

CNN is bringing in a former chief executive of the BBC and The New York Times in an attempt to turn around a news organization that has burned through two leaders and bled viewers over the past two years.

fired in June, and a four-person team that had been running CNN in the interim.

Thompson, who left the Times in 2020 after eight years as that company's president and CEO, is credited with transforming it to a digital-first organization more dependent on paid subscribers than the collapsing advertising market that has doomed many newspapers. The England native was director-general of the BBC from 2004 to 2012.


Zaslav called him a "true innovator" who pushed two of the world's most respected news organizations into the digital age.

"His strategic vision, track record in transformational leadership and sheer passion for news makes him a formidable force for CNN and journalism at this pivotal time," he said.

In a statement, Thompson - who has been knighted by the British government - said that "where others see disruption, I see opportunity."