Longtime CNN executive Eric Sherling has been promoted to executive vice president, U.S. Programming for CNN Worldwide, the network announced on Thursday.
With this appointment, Sherling will oversee all domestic live programming originating from CNN’s New York, Atlanta, and Washington DC offices, including morning, dayside, primetime, and weekends.
He will also be responsible for network-wide booking, special projects, and special live events programming.
Sherling will be based in New York, reporting directly to CNN CEO and chairman Chris Licht.
“There are few people with more experience producing live programming for CNN than Eric with more than 20 combined years launching, executive producing, and planning major programming across our U.S. bureaus,” said Licht. “His innovative approach to programming, including spearheading our new dayside programming, shows he is the perfect person to lead our strategy into the future.”
“It’s an honor to take on this new role,” said Sherling. “I look forward to working with CNN’s exceptional journalists.”
Prior to this appointment, Sherling was the interim head of U.S. programming, having taken over for Michael Bass, who exited CNN at the end of last year. In the interim role, Sherling oversaw the launch of CNN News Central. He’s best known as the executive in charge of CNN’s special events programming, producing some of the most-watched days in CNN history, including Election Nights, Debates, and breaking news coverage of January 6.
Sherling first joined CNN in 2000 as a producer in the network’s Atlanta headquarters, and six years later was named executive producer of The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer. Sherling left CNN for ABC News at the end of 2009, where he spent two years as the executive broadcast producer for GMA. He returned to CNN at the end of 2011 as the network’s director of Washington programming. He went on to launch The Lead with Jake Tapper in 2013, and eventually rose to the role of svp, Washington D.C. and special events programming.
Sherling began his producing career in local news for WFLA-TV in Tampa, and WTVQ in Lexington, Ky.