WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar has named Michael Bass, Amy Entelis and Ken Jautz to co-lead CNN following Jeff Zucker‘s resignation this morning.
Zucker resigned after he failed to disclose a consensual relationship with the network’s evp, cmo and his longtime spokesperson Allison Gollust. Zucker told staff today that he is departing CNN, but Gollust will remain at the company.
Bass has been Zucker’s No. 2 for many years, and currently serves as evp of CNN U.S. programming. He oversees all New York- and Atlanta-based live programs, including mornings, dayside, prime, and weekends. In addition, he manages network-wide booking, sponsored content and special projects. Bass was previously Zucker’s top lieutenant at NBC’s Today. He left NBC in 2001 to take over as EP of CBS’s The Early Show (2002-2007). He returned to NBC in 2007 in a business development role and joined Katie Couric’s syndicated show (which Zucker executive produced) in the summer of 2012, before joining CNN in April 2013.
Michael Bass
Entelis (shown top right) has long been in charge of CNN Original Series and Films, and serves as evp of talent and content development. She arrived at CNN in January 2012 after spending more than 30 years at ABC where she was senior vp of talent strategy, development and research. She left ABC in May 2011, and becomes a trendy pick to serve as the next president of CNN.
Jautz serves as evp of CNN/U.S., responsible for HLN, as well as group operations, business affairs and the Newsource affiliate service. He also held Bass’ current job as evp of CNN U.S. from 2010-2012. Over his lengthy tenure at the company, Jautz has also served as evp of CNN’s business news operations and the CNNfn network, as well as CNN Money. In December 2008, Jautz oversaw the name change of the channel from Headline News to HLN.
The longest-tenured of the three, Jautz joined CNN in 1989 as bureau chief in Germany. Prior to that he had been an international correspondent for The Associated Press.
Ken Jautz