CNN Renews Jeff Zucker’s Contract Through 2020

CNN president Jeff Zucker isn’t going anywhere. In recent months, the network re-upped its contract with Zucker to keep him at the company through 2020, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. 

It’s not clear when Zucker’s previous contract was scheduled to expire, and a spokesperson for the network declined comment.

Zucker joined CNN back in 2013, and his future at the network has been a recent topic of conversation. 

Back in October, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson was asked if Zucker would stay on following the telco’s acquisition of parent company Time Warner, which was approved by a judge on Tuesday. “These are well-run businesses and the priority is not to screw the business up,” he said at the time. “CNN is doing a lot of good things, and the hope is to keep the key management teams in place.”

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In January, THR reported that Zucker had “thrown his hat in the ring” to replace ESPN president John Skipper, a job that eventually went to Jimmy Pitaro. At a Jan. 25 town hall with employees, however, Zucker said he was not leaving the company. “I fully intend to stay at CNN and have no desire to work at ESPN,” he said at the time, according to a source in attendance.

CNN has remained in President Donald Trump’s crosshairs. On Wednesday morning, Trump accused the network of downplaying his accord with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “500 days ago they would have ‘begged’ for this deal-looked like war would break out,” the president wrote on Twitter. “Our Country’s biggest enemy is the Fake News so easily promulgated by fools!”

Conservative media outlets have attacked CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta for shouting a question at Kim, though Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity that the press largely covered his summit fairly. Zucker is said to be supportive of Acosta’s aggressive reporting.