Stephen Colbert held an emergency meeting on Saturday to allay the fears of Late Show employees about their showrunner Chris Licht, who is being chased by CNN, Six has learned.
“It simply came to our notice then [regular] staff meeting [Friday] run by Licht and he said nothing about CNN. It was a normal business, “said a source familiar with the meeting.
But when news broke on Saturday that 50-year-old Licht would replace Jeff Zucker as president of CNN, we were told that 57-year-old Colbert had convened a meeting of Zoom staff at 2 p.m. to “calm the panic.”
Colbert had originally planned to inform staff about Licht’s departure this week, but the lively news site Puck beat him when it first announced the producer’s new gig.
The lead writer of “The Late Show” started the meeting at Zoom and it was “quite fun”, we were told.
“He was relieved by Stephen that he no longer had to keep the secret,” said our insider, adding: “It was not mentioned who will replace Chris as a showrunner.”
Discovery, which is in the process of merging with CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros., officially announced on Monday that Licht will be appointed CEO of CNN Global.
“I have known and admired Chris for more than 15 years and strongly believe that he is the best person to lead CNN Global. “He is an extremely principled man who is trustworthy, hardworking and makes any organization stronger, more innovative and more cohesive,” said David Zaslav, future CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery.
“I am honored to have this opportunity, especially at such an important time for our country and the world,” Licht said in a statement.
“CNN has a rich and legendary heritage and I promise to maintain and build on it. I am forever grateful to Stephen Colbert and the incomparable Late Show team for an unforgettable run. “I look forward to returning to my journalistic roots,” he said.
Colbert was considered a risky choice when he was named David Letterman’s successor at CBS in 2014. But Licht helped the comics show bring comics to the top of late ratings, overshadowing NBC’s Tonight Show rival Jimmy Fallon.
Licht will now take over the 56-year-old Zucker, who resigned in February after failing to reveal his romantic relationship with former chief marketing officer Alison Golust, who also resigned.
Licht is expected to begin his new role on CNN in early May.