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☆ CNN's CEO bragged to the Atlantic about shedding 48 pounds through diet and exercise. Reports say he had a little help from Ozempic.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Jake Swearingen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

CNN CEO Chris Licht claimed to lose nearly 50 pounds from diet and exercise. Now sources tell the Daily Mail and the Daily Beast's Confider that Licht boasted of using Ozempic. Licht told reporter Tim Alberta he dropped nearly 50 pounds over the last three years through a strict diet and grueling exercise regimen. In the Atlantic profile, Licht, 51, boasted about his ascetic eating habits and intense early-morning workouts with trainer Joe Maysonet. "I'm a fucking machine," Licht told The Atlantic, explaining why he was skipping a meal.

Persons: Chris Licht, Licht, Tim Alberta, Ozempic, Joe Maysonet, Jeff Zucker, Zucker, —, It's, Matt Dornic Organizations: CNN, Daily Mail, Daily

☆ Middle Eastern investors are pouring money into US media, sports, and entertainment — here are the 9 most active players and their key leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Investors in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates are pouring money into Western media and entertainment. Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment, and they're finding plenty of takers. The channels for money from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East are complex. Insider broke down the key entities — their owners, leaders, and high-profile investments and joint ventures — in the top three Middle Eastern nations pouring money into US entertainment and media. It describes itself as the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa and runs one of the largest TV news channels, Al Arabiya.

Persons: Jamal Khashoggi's, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, —, WME, Jimmy Finkelstein's, Abu Dhabi's, It's, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, Sam Barnett, Peter Smith —, Christina Wayne, SRMG, Mohammed bin Salman, Alrashid, Johnny Depp, Jeanne du Barry, Sharon Stone, Bruno Mars, Luca Guadanigno, Vince McMahon's, Turki Al, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Dayel, Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al, Mahmoud, Peter Chernin, Nasser Al, Germain, BeIN, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad, Khalifa Al, Vincent, Asghar Farhadi's Oscar, Nart Bouran, JAF, Jeff Zucker, Graydon Carter's, it's, Semafor, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mansour, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber Organizations: United, Sovereign, Saudi, Washington Post, Saudi Crown, Endeavor, UFC, IMI, Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation, Public Investment Fund, Saudi Aramco, Newcastle United, English football, PGA, MBC, Shahid, Netflix, Vice Media, Variety, MBC Group's, Antenna Group, Cineflex Studios, NBCUniversal International, Amazon, AMC, Saudi Research, Media, Publicly, Red Sea, Cannes, Penske Media Corporation, Bloomberg Media, Vince McMahon's WWE, country's General Entertainment Authority, Development, Cultural Development Fund, George Washington University, American University . Qatar Qatar Investment, Qatar Investment Authority, Providence, BeIN Media, Paris Saint, Miramax, Paramount, Doha Film, Doha Film Institute, H.E, Hollywood Reporter, United Arab Emirates Abu, Investment Authority, UAE, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Hollywood, Dubai Studio, Dubai Media City, National Geographic, BBC News, International Media Investments International Media Investments, National, CNN, Sky News Arabia, Reuters, JAF Communications, Grid, RedBird Capital Partners, Punchbowl News, New York Times, Manchester City, The, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Locations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Saudi, East, North Africa, Al Arabiya, Netherlands, Greece, Dubai, Jeddah, SRMG, Riyadh, Doha, Europe, Americas, ViacomCBS, Qatari, Thani, Abu Dhabi

☆ CNN CEO Chris Licht apologizes to staff over disastrous Atlantic magazine profile: 'I should not be in the news unless it's taking arrows for you'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Taylor Berman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

CNN CEO Chris Licht has apologized to his staff over a disastrous profile published by The Atlantic on Friday. Three days after The Atlantic published a bombshell profile about him, CNN CEO Chris Licht has apologized to his staff in an editorial call. The Atlantic profile, written by Tim Alberta, described Licht as aloof from staff, in contrast to his well-liked predecessor Jeff Zucker. Puck's Dylan Byers reports Licht told staffers on the call that he will move his office back to the newsroom. Insiders at CNN have also shared their theories on how the article became such an spectacular and ill-timed mess for Licht and CNN.

Persons: Chris Licht, Licht, Brian Stelter, Jake Tapper, Nikki Haley, I've, Tim Alberta, Jeff Zucker, Trump ., Puck's Dylan Byers Organizations: CNN, The Atlantic, Morning, GOP, Trump, CNN's New Locations: Alberta, CNN's, CNN's New York City

☆ Jeff Zucker reportedly compared his firing from CNN to a gunshot wound: 'I gave them a gun, and they shot me with it'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Alison Brower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Jeff Zucker compared his firing from CNN to a gunshot wound, according to a New York Times report. Jeff Zucker compared his firing from CNN to a gunshot wound, according to a New York Times report — in part a self-inflicted one. "I gave them a gun, and they shot me with it," Zucker reportedly said. Zucker was an immensely popular leader at CNN, and his firing was a staggering shock to its newsroom and the media industry. Licht and Zucker met a few months after Zucker's firing, over a lunch in the Hamptons arranged by other media stakeholders, the Times reported.

Persons: Jeff Zucker, Zucker, Chris Licht, Allison Gollust, Tim Alberta, Gollust, Andrew Cuomo, Risa Heller, Heller, Zucker's, David Zaslav, Laurene Powell Jobs, Emerson, WBD, Licht, Don Lemon, Donald Trump, Zaslav, David Leavy Organizations: CNN, New York Times, Yale University, Times, Atlantic, WarnerMedia, Warner Bros, Discovery, Hamptons Locations: WarnerMedia, New York

☆ Could Jeff Zucker Fix CNN? He Seems to Think So.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The complaint wasn’t unusual for Mr. Zucker, 58. He often compares notes on the media business with former colleagues and industry acquaintances, many of whom call him to grouse about the current state of CNN. Mr. Zucker’s criticism may be painful for executives running CNN to hear second- and thirdhand. Last month, CNN hosted a town hall with Mr. Trump in New Hampshire that was criticized for airing false information. Many anchors Mr. Zucker hired or promoted, including Jake Tapper, and Kaitlan Collins, who moderated the town hall, are still in prominent spots in CNN’s lineup.

Persons: Zucker, Chris Licht, Donald J, Trump, Jake Tapper, Kaitlan Collins Organizations: CNN, Nielsen Locations: New Hampshire

☆ Former CNN boss Jeff Zucker's $1 billion venture is reportedly considering a big investment in former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter's media startup Air Mail
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Alison Brower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Zucker's firm, RedBird IMI, is reportedly one of three investors circling a majority stake in Air Mail. Jeff Zucker's media venture, RedBird IMI, is exploring a majority stake in Graydon Carter's startup Air Mail, The New York Times reported. It is one of three investors circling Air Mail, according to the Times. Carter, who spent 25 years leading Condé Nast's Vanity Fair, launched Air Mail — "a lively digital weekly for the world citizen," per its website — in 2019. In May 2021, as he was seeking investors for the series B, Carter told Insider he expected Air Mail to reach profitability in three years.

Persons: Jeff Zucker, Graydon Carter's, Zucker, Jeff Zucker's, Carter, Condé, Axios, RedBird, Zucker's, Chris Licht, David Zaslav, Licht, Donald Trump, Zaslav, Carter cohosted Organizations: CNN, IMI, Air Mail, Morning, RedBird IMI, The New York Times, RedBird Capital Partners, Abu, Media Investments, Air, Times, Standard Investments, TPG Growth, Warner Bros, Discovery, Cannes Film Locations: Abu Dhabi, Zaslav

☆ Former CNN Chief Jeff Zucker Has a New Job at RedBird IMI. What Is It?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since leaving CNN a year ago, Jeff Zucker, the network’s former president, has been on the hunt for deals, flush with $1 billion in backing from big investors in the worlds of media and finance. In addition to Mr. Zucker, the key players in the new venture, known as RedBird IMI, are Gerry Cardinale, the chief executive and founder of RedBird, and Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, an Emirati government minister who has spearheaded many of IMI’s investment conversations in the United States. Mr. Cardinale is the chief investment officer of RedBird IMI, and Mr. Al Jaber is chairman. RedBird is committing $250 million to the venture, and IMI has agreed to commit the remaining $750 million. The men gathered to discuss business last fall in a suite overlooking a Formula 1 racetrack in Abu Dhabi.

Persons: Jeff Zucker, Zucker, Gerry Cardinale, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Cardinale, Al Jaber, RedBird Organizations: CNN, RedBird Capital Partners, International Media Investments, United Arab, IMI Locations: United Arab Emirates, United States, Abu Dhabi

☆ Inside CNN's epic PR fail that made a mockery of CEO Chris Licht
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Nicholas Carlson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The Atlantic published a really tough article about CNN CEO Chris Licht. The disaster I'm referring to is Tim Alberta's devastating profile of CNN chair and CEO Chris Licht published Friday. And maybe, the story suggests, that's because that big idea is not really Licht's plan at all but one foisted on him by his boss, Warner Bros. Through the summer, Alberta and Licht and CNN comms people talked about what the story might look like. A handful of sources tell me Kelly was skeptical of whether this was a good idea, Dornic was happy to do whatever, and Licht really, really wanted to do it.

Persons: Chris Licht, CNN's goof, Tim Alberta's, Licht, Licht hasn't, Warner, David Zaslav, Zucker, Jeff Zucker, I've, I'm, Kris Coratti Kelly, Kelly, Matt Dornic, Dornic, Hugo, Evan Agostini, isn't, Michael Eisner, James B, Stewart, Eisner, Stewart's, Tim Alberta, Nikki Haley, Don Lemon, he'd, it's, that's, It's, wasn't, Zaslav Organizations: CNN, Trump Town Hall, Warner Bros, Discovery, Journalism, Licht, Global Communications, American Museum of, Disney, Alberta, Trump, Atlantic Locations: Alberta, Manhattan

☆ 'It's like watching a snuff film': Media elites shocked by The Atlantic's surgical dismantling of CNN boss Chris Licht
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Nicholas Carlson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

("I'm a fucking machine," Licht told me one day, when I asked why he was skipping a meal.) A clear-the-air town hall where he gets irritated with the CNN journalist interviewing him. Licht told Alberta. The big blunder Alberta returns to over and over in the story is the May 10 Trump town hall. Another media big wig, but one not at the conference, told me he thinks Licht is "done" at CNN.

Persons: moly, Chris Licht, Tim Alberta, Matt Dornic, Licht, Joe Maysonet, chirping, Zucker, Jeff Zucker, Here's Licht, Whatsapp, —, isn't, it's, Nikki Haley, Lago Organizations: CNN, Facebook, Alberta, Trump, Capitol, cnn, Cnn, Mar Locations: Alberta, Hudson, COVID, Puck, Trump, American

☆ Concert Tees? Try Trial Merch.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Andrew Zucker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Simpson stood trial for murder. “We bought a ‘Dream Team’ shirt for my dad,” Ms. Clary said, using a phrase adopted as a nickname for Mr. Simpson’s lawyers. “I got a ‘Free the Juice’ button,” she added, using a nickname for Mr. Simpson, who was found not guilty. Ms. Clary said they didn’t buy the products as a way to communicate opinions on the trial. The merchandise was meant to commemorate an event that she described as “such a big part of pop culture.”

☆ Canada unveils new passport design with more security features, nod to King Charles
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Jenna Zucker | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The new passport will display a Coat of Arms, making Canada among the first in the Commonwealth to introduce a travel document series that references King Charles III, the IRCC said. It will show the Queen's Coat of Arms as the passport’s creation came before the King approved the new version. The new features include personal information engraved with lasers instead of printed in ink on its polycarbonate data page, a design that has strong anti-fraud components. The Canadian passport is ranked fourth globally for its mobility score by the Passport Index, alongside seven other countries including the United States, Australia, and Japan. It is ranked 26th globally for its visa characteristics, which authorizes passport holders visa-free entry into 115 countries, with 51 countries permitting a visa on arrival.

Follow for live updates on the Trump CNN town hall meeting. Those objections intensified on Tuesday after Mr. Trump was found liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of the writer E. Jean Carroll. And foes of Mr. Trump will cringe at seeing him on air at all. He is backed by David Zaslav, the Warner chief executive, who has batted away objections to Wednesday’s Trump town hall. There is the awkward fact that Mr. Trump still has a pending $475 million defamation lawsuit against the network.

☆ CNN CEO Chris Licht marks one year on the job with a network rebrand, upcoming ad campaign, and a Trump town hall
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The network is hoping its May 10 Trump town hall, to be anchored by Kaitlan Collins, delivers ratings. One year into his new role, CNN CEO Chris Licht is quietly working on a major brand refresh of the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned global news network. CNN is planning a new ad campaign, according to this person and a separate person familiar with conversations, once the changes are finalized and approved by Warners CEO David Zaslav. The town hall will mark the first time Trump has appeared on CNN in years. At least on the business side," they added, referencing the audiences and ad dollars a Trump campaign would bring.

☆ It's judgment day: Shocking exits of Tucker Carlson, Don Lemon, and Jeff Shell rock the TV industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Nathan Mcalone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NBCU CEO Jeff Shell, Fox News' Tucker Carlson, and CNN's Don Lemon are all out. Shell's bombshell exit took many insiders by surprise, Insider's Claire Atkinson reported on Sunday. Fox News declined to comment beyond its press release saying it had agreed to "part ways" with Carlson. Media watchers had been primed for a Lemon exit for weeks. With all the news of the past 24 hours, media insiders have barely even gotten a chance to drill down into the second wave of layoffs at Disney, which will number in the thousands.

☆ CNN fires anchor Don Lemon in the wake of sexist comments, reported mistreatment of colleagues
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

CNN on Monday fired anchor Don Lemon in the wake of sexist on-air comments and reports that he mistreated female coworkers during his 17 years at the network. Lemon, who had hosted "CNN This Morning" as scheduled, said his agent informed him about his termination Monday morning. Shortly after Lemon first tweeted that he was fired, the network's CEO, Chris Licht, said the anchor and CNN "parted ways." The report was based on more than a dozen former and current colleagues of Lemon, Variety said. He has served as the prime-time anchor of CNN's "Don Lemon Tonight" for more than eight years, the network's website says.

☆ NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell exits after an 'inappropriate relationship,' shocking insiders, and Comcast won't rush to replace him as corporate exec Mike Cavanagh steps up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell's exit shocked company insiders and all of Hollywood. NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell's bombshell departure on Sunday night was a surprise to the well-regarded executive and also to his closest colleagues. Deadline reported that Shell's relationship was with CNBC's senior international correspondent, Hadley Gamble, which lasted 11 years but had ended a couple of years ago. "Comcast is as buttoned-up and straight as ever — this is a black eye for Brian Roberts," the Comcast CEO. A second company insider, however, said that Cavanagh is expected to remain in the role for some time.

☆ Some new offices are mini towns with their own restaurants, doctor offices, and hotels. Workers actually want to go.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The idea is getting replicated from the Bell Labs location, or Bell Works New Jersey, Keating said. The spaces run by Bell Works' own coworking brand, CoLab, are nearly 100% occupied. At Bell Works New Jersey, Zucker partnered with Toll Brothers to build a 185-home 55-and-over community. At BRIC, tenants can take advantage of a dozen art galleries, some of which show the work of building tenants. A lobby area near offices at Bell Works Chicagoland.

☆ CNN insiders say CEO Chris Licht is standing behind star anchor Don Lemon after reported allegations of misogyny
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

CNN is responding to a Variety article accusing Don Lemon of misogyny and other problematic behavior. "CNN This Morning," which Lemon hosts with Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, was launched in November, part of a bet by CNN parent Warner Bros. "CNN This Morning" averaged 359,000 viewers in the first quarter, or when the HLN simulcast is included, 438,000 viewers. Collins, meanwhile is getting a new primetime slot on CNN, the network confirmed to the New York Post. Lemon had suggested on "CNN This Morning" that Nikki Haley was not a viable presidential candidate because she "isn't in her prime."

☆ CNN staffers are divided after a bombshell report accuses Don Lemon of misogyny. Insiders say it's 'another shit show' for network chief Chris Licht.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

CNN is responding to a Variety article accusing Don Lemon of misogyny and other problematic behavior. CNN is defending Don Lemon after a bombshell report by Variety about the network's star, while insiders are speculating about his ability to survive the latest blow. "CNN This Morning," which Lemon hosts with Poppy Harlow, and Kaitlan Collins, was launched in November, part of a bet by CNN parent Warner Bros. "CNN This Morning" averaged 359,000 viewers in the first quarter, or when the HLN simulcast is included, 438,000 viewers. Lemon had suggested on "CNN This Morning" that Nikki Haley was not a viable presidential candidate because she "isn't in her prime."

☆ 9 Middle Eastern funds and investors pouring money into US media, sports, and entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Governments and investors in the Middle East are pouring money into Western media and entertainment. Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment, and they're finding plenty of takers. The channels for money from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East are complex. Insider broke down the key entities — their owners, leaders, and high-profile investments and joint ventures — in the top three Middle Eastern nations pouring money into US entertainment and media. It describes itself as the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa and runs one of the largest TV news channels, Al Arabiya.

☆ Saudi money is flowing to US media and entertainment, from Live Nation to LIV Golf, 5 years after Jamal Khashoggi's murder: 'The ice has thawed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment. Insider identified some key people connecting Middle East investors with American companies. Saudi Arabia is trying to pitch itself to the world as a cultural and economic reformer and spur tourism. Vince McMahon's WWE has a long-term partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a major live WWE event there slated for May. Vince McMahon's WWE was one of the first US companies to create unique events in Saudi Arabia.

☆ NHL roundup: Bruins clinch league's best record
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Pastrnak took Hampus Lindholm's feed into the offensive zone and finished with the backhand for his 53rd goal of the season. Tyler Bertuzzi scored the lone Bruins goal of regulation, tying the game in the second period. Mario Ferraro had a goal and an assist and Oskar Lindblom and Tomas Hertl also scored for San Jose. Defenseman Henry Thrun, making his NHL debut after starring at Harvard, added two assists, and James Reimer finished with 23 saves. Blues 5, Blackhawks 3Brandon Saad scored one goal and set up another as St. Louis handed host Chicago its seventh straight loss.

☆ Saudi money is pouring into Hollywood and media, 5 years after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Here's who's cashing in and how.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment. Saudi Arabia is trying to pitch itself to the world as a cultural and economic reformer and spur tourism. Even those media players that are comfortable with invetment from the Middle East may not find funds flowing, one Hollywood veteran said. A major live WWE event in Saudi Arabia is slated for May. Of the growing ties between US entertainment and media and Middle East investors, this person added, "Presumably media organizations got into this to help society make better decisions."

☆ NHL roundup: Bruins bounce Rangers for 10th straight win
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

At the end of a board battle behind Elliott in the second period, Hinostroza one-timed his second goal off a pass from Casey Mittelstadt at 5:35 for Buffalo's first lead. Captain Dylan Larkin scored in the second period and Magnus Hellberg made 32 saves for the Red Wings, who have lost five straight games (0-4-1). Bennett, who had missed six straight games, scored one goal. Capitals 8, Sharks 3Craig Smith scored twice in Washington's four-goal second period and the visitors rallied for a win against San Jose. Predators 3, Blackhawks 1Philip Tomasino, Tyson Barrie and Colton Sissons scored for visiting Nashville in a win against Chicago.

☆ NHL roundup: Bruins become fastest to 100 points
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

With their ninth consecutive win, the Bruins improved to 48-8-5 on the season and became the fastest team in NHL history to record 100 points, doing so in 61 games. Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo and David Krejci each recorded two assists while Patrice Bergeron and Connor Clifton also scored goals. Casey Mittelstadt scored the lone goal and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 35 saves for the Sabres, who dropped their second straight. The Lightning are 2-3-3 in their past eight games and have lost three straight for the first time. The Stars gave goalie Matt Murray his NHL debut, and he finished with 19 saves for the win.

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