MSNBC host Joe Scarborough criticized the top of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, for cutting Chris Licht from CNN after The Atlantic published a scathing profile in regards to the head of the network.
“If I were the CEO, I’d be dead before the magazine article decided who to rent and fire,” said the host of Morning Joe.
Licht resigned last week after failing in a last-ditch effort to maintain the network beleaguered within the rankings.
Nevertheless, commentators didn’t describe Licht’s departure as voluntary, but as a move planned by Zaslav after a 15,000-word, fiercely critical exposé that portrayed Licht as a thin executive who had isolated himself from his workforce and struggled to maneuver out of his beloved predecessor’s shadow.
Scarborough accused Zaslav of ditching “my friend Chris Licht” after only a yr.
“I’d call him and say, ‘You screwed up, shut your mouth, keep your head down, do the job I hired you to do and we’ll put it behind us,'” the presenter said.
Scarborough – who co-hosts MSNBC’s morning show Licht is thought for its launch and executive production – has previously defended Licht, noting that the network struggled to draw viewers even before he took over as head.
“The concept that it was a juggernaut when it just wasn’t before Chris walked through the door is just… it’s just bad reporting,” Scarborough argued within the previous “Morning Joe” segment.
Last month, “CNN This Morning,” which Licht launched as considered one of his first business deals, had 309,000 viewers, in accordance with USTVDB data.
It was even worse within the highly sought-after 25- to 54-year-old demographic, with a measly 78,000 viewers.
Meanwhile, in May, “Morning Joe” garnered 814,000 viewers, including 111,000 for the demo version, It showed USTVDB data.
Scarborough acknowledged that Licht “made mistakes”, but in addition believed that he “learned from his mistakes”.
The presenter called Zaslav’s decision to part ways with Licht a “money scare” move.
Zaslav used a three-man “actor leadership team”, consisting of head of talent Amy Entelis, head of editorial office Virginia Moseley and head of programming Eric Sherling, within the search for a alternative for Licht.
Scarborough likened the restructuring to Bud Light’s try and get out of the controversy after an ill-fated partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney sent its employees on furlough.
Let’s speak about Bud. Okay, you let people do things, they do things, and you then suspend or fire them,” Scarborough said as he became increasingly aroused in reference to 2 Bud Light marketing executives who were fired after a faulty partnership launch.
Mulvaney’s April 1 Instagram post of a can of Bud Light along with her face in celebration of “365 of Girlhood” put the brewer on the trail of a cultural storm surrounding LGBTQ+ rights.
At the tip of the month, Daniel Blake, who oversees marketing for Anheuser-Busch’s major brands, and Alissa Heinerscheid, the brewery’s vp of promoting, were on vacation.
People conversant in the matter said the choice to take the leave was not voluntary and it was unclear whether Blake and Heinersscheid had returned to work.