Zucker, who joined CNN in 2013 and led the network through the rise of Donald Trump to the presidency, abruptly resigned this week over a secret relationship he had with a colleague, CNN chief marketing officer Allison Gollust, which he did not disclose to the company as required. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. Senator from Idaho Jim Risch, amounted to a total of $5,600. [6][7], Zaslav was born to a Polish and Ukrainian Jewish family[8][9][10][11] in Brooklyn, New York. In May, I published anownership indexof the top 176 U.S. media organizations. During the Evans era, the sources of corporate infighting were often esoteric. Definitely to the left. Zaslav is on the board of Mexican programming giant Televisa, now merging with Univision. [17] As president of Cable and Domestic TV and New Media Distribution, he oversaw content distribution to all forms of TV, negotiated for cable and satellite carriage of NBCUniversal networks and forged media partnerships.[18][19]. [37][38][39], Since August 2022, Zaslav received heavy criticism for his decision to heavily shrink down the content library on the streaming service HBO Max, to be used as tax write-offs. Despite the increased support from CEOs, Biden and the Democratic National Committee outraised their opponents in the second quarter. Spurred by the rapid proliferation of social media platforms, with questionable content,and a formerpresident who pummeled our free press repeatedly, its no wonder Americans are left wary and our information ecosystem is in shambles. James Zelter, co-president and CIO of Apollo Global Management that owns Yahoo News, gave $35,900 to Republicansand $25,200 to Democrats. Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg fund swaths of lobbyists in Washington. Susan Wojcicki, a major donor to Wikipedia and CEO of YouTube,donated only $8,000through Google Netpac. Simply log into Settings & Account and select "Cancel" on the right-hand side. Newsmax owner Chris Ruddy gave $365,000 to Donald Trump and his super PACs. And maybe, those legendary parties might start again. Domestically, HBO Max and HBO have a combined 45.2 million subscribers. David Michael Zaslav (born January 15, 1960) is an American media executive who currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Warner Bros. Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue, gave $6,000. The combination has promised $3 billion in synergies. Discovery, to be sure, funded Otter Dynasty, not Game of Thrones. Discovery Lost $20 Billion in Market Cap Trying to Cut $3 Billion in Costs", "HBO Max is treating animation fans and creators like hot, burning garbage", "Infinity Train Creator Says Animation Teams Were Given No Warning Before HBO Max Purge", "Seven New Members Elected to University's Board of Trustees", CableFax: "Never Forget: Zaslav, Spielberg Help Commemorate Auschwitzs Liberation", UJA-Federation of New York: "Oprah, Wiesel Honor Zaslav at Leadership Awards Dinner", "Oprah, Wiesel Honor Zaslav at Leadership Awards Dinner", "David Zaslav: The 100 Most Influential People of 2022", "He ran Animal Planet and HGTV. Zaslavwill lead the combined company called Warner Bros. Not long ago when he dropped by his new home he ordered some changes: Michael Smith, (CNBC Screenshot). She has written extensively about the news media. The Cook Political Report marks six Republican-held Senate seats in Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Montana and North Carolina as toss ups. Get the best insights and analysis delivered to your inbox, 2,276 groups organized as super PACs have reported, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. You can still enjoy your subscription until the end of your current billing period. David Zaslav, Discovery's CEO, will lead the combined Discovery-WarnerMedia. A Division of NBCUniversal. "CNN is a fantastic asset, I cant wait to get in there. Discovery boss will soon oversee CNN as part of deal with WarnerMedia, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 16: President and CEO, Discovery, Inc. David Zaslav speaks onstage during the Discovery, Inc. TCA Winter Panel 2020 at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 16, 2020 in Pasadena, California. This time, the bulk of Zaslavs compensation came from stock awards ($12.5 million) and non-equity incentive plan compensation ($21.8 million). Got a confidential news tip? But here is where it fell short. All rights reserved. becoming the first announced candidate for the party. That may now stretch to nine months, since Zaslav, having negotiated the $43 billion Discovery-AT&T deal, has now expanded his domain to include Warner Bros, HBO and CNN. George Soros, a major donor to Wikipediawho funds many new digital media outlets through his Open Society Foundation (see our nonprofit U.S. Media Index), gave $3,679,800. That employee makes $66,689, so it would take them 565 years to equal Zaslavs annual compensation. Zucker abruptly resigned this week after admitting he failed to properly disclose his relationship with another senior executive, CNN chief marketing officer Allison Gollust. Zaslavs battles will be more expensive. organisation Zaslav interrupted, "John is going to be a board member of this company, and I am the operating--," before Kernen spoke over him asking if he had anything to do with Zuckers exit. WBD President and CEO David Zaslav spent time with Abrams before the close of the merger earlier this year and is a fan. I do. "He's masterful at presenting himself as an aw-shucks guy from Rockland County, but underneath in the middle of a deal he's more aggressive than one of the great whites on 'Shark Week,'" said a friend. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. He noted that the recent run of corporate executives giving to Republicans is a sign that the campaign is fervently calling these donors. Disclosure: Mathias Dpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member. Where the country was when we launched MSNBC was much more fact-based and less divided.. Laurene Powell Jobs donated over $2 million. When Discovery assumes control of CNN, Zaslav will have a key decision to make right out of the box as it will have to replace newly-resigned CNN chief Jeff Zucker. According to Deadline, he even made it known that corporate procedures had to be followed to the letter in regards to Zucker., Have a tip we should know? The merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery is reportedly set to be completed early in the spring. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Zaslav spearheaded the transaction between AT&T and Discovery to combine with WarnerMedia and create the combined Warner Bros. The Discovery-WarnerMedia merger is expected to close in mid-2022. We want to hear from you! The Discovery CEO also was early in laying foundations overseas, where rival media companies are now trying to bulk up. Discovery and has publicly committed to keeping CNN after the merger. When Discovery assumes control of CNN, Zaslav will have a key decision to make right out of the box as it will have to replace newly-resigned CNN chief Jeff Zucker. The CEOs of some of the biggest companies in the United States have started ramping up their donations to Republican causes as concern grows about Joe Biden's plan to raise the corporate tax rate. Zaslav is on the board of Mexican programming giant Televisa, now merging with Univision. Media tends to be a reflection of where the country is. Discovery CEO David Zaslav was confronted on Friday about the future of CNN, the liberal network he is set to oversee once a looming merger is official, but [23] As CEO, Zaslav oversaw the development and launch of new networks such as Planet Green (later rebranded as Destination America),[24] The Hub,[25][26] Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN),[27] Velocity,[28][29] and Investigation Discovery,[30] as well as the company's 2018 acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive,[31] expansion of its digital education operations,[32] and current emphasis on streaming services. Amanda Edwards/Getty Images for Discovery, NOW WATCH: Customers expect CEOs to take action against climate change now more than ever, Unilever executive says, would unite Discovery with AT&T's WarnerMedia, which could concern WarnerMedia employees, "move-fast and break things" style of the WarnerMedia's current chief executive, Jason Kilar. Even his wife, Clare Boothe Luce, herself a Republican member of Congress, chastised him publicly for his relentless coverage in Time of Barry Goldwaters GOP nomination for president. In September 2020, Zaslav confided to a close friend that he was concerned about the fate of the company he'd spent 15 years building. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. And John Malone, when you hear him, hes still a big part of your life, a big part of Discovery, if he said we need CNN to go back to reporting news". In a digital age, there are many new ways to influence. ", Warner Bros. International Television Production, Warner Bros. David Zaslav, President and Chief Executive Officer of WBD, commented: With the major restructuring decisions behind us, this year we are focused on building and growing our businesses for the future, and were off to a great start. Farris Wilks, investor in the Daily Wire, gave $416,800 to Trump Victory and Club for Growth Action. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. Oprah Winfrey is a great example of someone who the world wanted to do business with, but David had an incredible knack for making people want to work with him," said his former boss Tom Rogers, who was president of NBC Cable where Zaslav was head of distribution and new media. Look up your friends and patriotsat the FEC. Did you say to the left? Kernan said, before taking back the question, saying he probably shouldnt have said that.. Did Elon Musk, one of the biggest donors to Wikipedia, reallygive only $40,000 to political leaders and causesin 2020-21? And John Malone, a top shareholder at CNNs soon to be parent Discovery, has made clear he disagrees with Zuckers vision for CNN. Sprecher's total was the most he's given in the past two presidential election cycles. That leaves $1 billion unaccounted for. Eric Zinterhofer, board member of Univision, gave $102,000. Discovery CEO David Zaslav was confronted on Friday about the future of CNN, the liberal network he is set to oversee once a looming merger is official, but claimed the ousting of now-former CNN boss Jeff Zucker had nothing to do with rumors the network could shift to a nonpartisan approach. Barr also said Zaslav did not give an answer when asked about current CNN boss Jeff Zuckers future at the soon-to-be combined company. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The parties within its walls were glitzy, the arguments were epic and the scandals provided perfect gossip fuel. Talk to David about European or Latin American TV, and he knows the details and the people there." His corporate boss, Charles Bluhdorn, facing him in his screening room, shouted that public companies could not dabble in porn. He then decided to re-run the films. His well-documented views were notsecret. Last November, Zaslav told Deadline that he would take a hands-on approach at CNN and other WarnerMedia properties. What investors need to know about Biden's economic vision. Why? His reputation for speed gave Discovery an edge over Comcast as a merger partner. The combined company, worth $120 billion in enterprise value, would unite Discovery with AT&T's WarnerMedia, home to CNN, HBO, and Warner Bros. A person familiar with the deal told Insider that AT&T didn't consider Comcast a viable partner because it was likely to be a slow-moving conversation, held up by thorny regulatory issues. To sustain that position, Zaslav will have to drastically readjust his spending habits. For context, OpenSecrets reported that political spending in the 2020 election reached $14 billion, the most expensive election ever. According to OpenSecrets, an independent nonprofit that tracks money in U.S. politics, as of last week, 2,276 groups organized as super PACs have reported their numbers. Discovery. ", Zaslavs comments contradict a Deadline report that Malone "made it known that corporate procedures had to be followed to the letter in regards to Zucker," therefore, "being that WarnerMedias standards of business conduct require disclosure of relationships that develop with a boss and subordinate, Zuckers goose was officially cooked.". Market data provided by Factset. Zaslav is expected to name Zuckers permanent replacement when the merger closes. Premium access for businesses and educational institutions. 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