CNN President in the US Caught in Office Romance Resigns After 9 Years

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] Jeff Zucker, president of CNN, the largest cable news channel in the United States, announced his resignation shortly after admitting to an office romance with a fellow executive. This marks a dishonorable departure after 9 years.

According to the Associated Press and others on the 2nd (local time), Zucker decided to resign after his relationship with a fellow executive was revealed during the investigation of former anchor Chris Cuomo.

In a memo he shared with employees that day, he stated, "I should have disclosed the relationship when it began, but I did not," and admitted, "I was wrong." He added, "I had hoped my tenure would end differently, but I loved every moment at CNN."

Zucker, 56 this year, has been regarded as one of the most powerful leaders in the industry since serving as executive producer of the Today Show in the 1990s. The AP reported that he played a key role in bringing former President Donald Trump onto the reality show The Apprentice while leading NBC Entertainment. He served as CEO of NBCUniversal before joining CNN in 2013.

The executive with whom Zucker acknowledged a special relationship is Allison Gollust, CNN’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer, who is in her early 40s. In her memo, Gollust also admitted, "Jeff and I have been close friends and partners for over 20 years. Recently, our relationship changed due to COVID-19," and expressed regret for not disclosing it in a timely manner. However, Gollust will remain at CNN. Local media reported that both Zucker and Gollust are divorced.

Industry insiders are paying attention to the timing of Zucker’s resignation, which was announced ahead of the merger between parent companies WarnerMedia and Discovery. They also see potential impacts on the upcoming launch of the news streaming service CNN+. The service, which Zucker had been heavily involved in developing, is scheduled to launch in March.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.