CNN CEO Chris Licht is leaving after a tumultuous 16-month tenure leading the venerable cable news outlet.

According to a report from Puck’s Dylan Byers, Licht will leave the network immediately. The news was confirmed during a CNN conference call with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. The report from Byers did not declare whether Licht was leaving on his own volition or if he was asked to step down by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.

During the conference call, Zaslav told employees, “For a number of reasons it didn’t work out, and that’s on me. I take full responsibility. We have put a transition team in place. The acting leadership team will be Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley, and Eric Sherling. I have great confidence in this group, and will fully support them until a new CEO us named. We are in no rush.”

The 51-year-old Licht was tabbed as the successor to Jeff Zucker, who left CNN after failing to disclose a romantic relationship with a subordinate. Under his leadership, CNN has seen numerous changes to its daily lineup, including the move of Don Lemon from primetime to a revamped morning show. Ultimately, Lemon was fired after several on-camera and behind-the-scenes missteps.

CNN This Morning — the program featuring Lemon, Poppy Harlow, and Kaitlan Collins — has failed to gain traction in regards to ratings. It frequently finished in third place behind competitors FOX & Friends and Morning Joe. It also at times failed to eclipse the previous CNN morning show New Day in audience size. Since its November launch, the show has seen both Lemon and Collins depart. The 31-year-old Collins was tabbed to host the timeslot previously occupied by Chris Cuomo in the network’s primetime lineup.

Licht’s departure comes on the heels of what has been described as a “disastrous” profile by The Atlantic’s Tim Alberta. The feature — which followed Licht for nearly a year — has been viewed as a detriment to his ability to lead the organization. In the story, Licht was critical of the way the journalists he now leads covered the COVID-19 pandemic, and also the presidency of Donald Trump.

Earlier this week, CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy claimed Licht had “lost the room” at the network after the profile’s publication.

Support for Licht inside the organization began to wane when it was announced that the network would host a town hall event with former President and current 2024 Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump. Many at the network panned the decision to “platform” the former president, saying the event would be a disaster for the network. Public reaction was to the event was generally mixed along party lines, but the ratings for the network haven’t recovered since the event took place.

On Tuesday, Tucker Carlson launched his new program called Tucker on Twitter, which marks his return after being fired by Fox News in April.

According to reports, Carlson is currently in discussions regarding his departure from Fox News, where he achieved high viewership with his primetime show “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” The network abruptly removed him from the airwaves after his final show on April 21, but he pledged to revive it in a different format on Twitter.

In the inaugural episode of his latest show, Carlson addressed the devastating incident involving the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine, describing it as a “terrorist act.”

A section of the dam and a nearby hydropower plant collapsed, resulting in the depletion of the Kakhovka reservoir and triggering extensive flooding in downstream regions. Ukrainian and Russian emergency teams worked together to evacuate numerous individuals. Both Russia and Ukraine have exchanged accusations regarding the failure of the dam.

“Blowing up the dam may be bad for Ukraine, but it hurts Russia more. And for that reason, the Ukrainian government has considered destroying it,” Carlson said.  “When the facts start coming in, it becomes much less of a mystery what might have happened to the dam. Any fair person would conclude that the Ukrainians probably blew it up.”

Situated in an area under Russian control, the dam and reservoir served as a vital source of freshwater for various regions in southern Ukraine and for the entirety of Crimea, which has been under Russian jurisdiction since its annexation in 2014. The reservoir also played a crucial role in supplying water to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Although the plant has an artificial lake to sustain its reactors, officials are concerned about the potential consequences once the lake becomes depleted in a few months’ time.

Subsequently, he delved into a critique of the “American media” that swiftly blamed the Russians for sabotaging their own infrastructure. He also directed criticism towards Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who is currently participating in the GOP primary for president due to their unwavering support for Ukraine.

Carlson targeted both the media and prominent individuals for readily accepting certain narratives as facts without conducting the proper examination. He asserted, “Not only do the media show no interest in any of these matters, but they also actively oppose anyone who does. In the realm of journalism, being curious is considered the most serious offense.”

According to Carlson, his new show aims to confront the established beliefs prevailing in the media, and he intends to continue airing it on Twitter as long as the platform upholds its dedication to free expression.

“We have now migrated to Twitter, which we hope will serve as the modern-day equivalent of clandestine short-wave radio. We’ve been informed that there are no authoritative filters in this space. If it turns out otherwise, we will withdraw. However, for now, we appreciate the opportunity to be present here,” stated Carlson.

After what has been labeled a “disastrous” profile with The Atlantic, CNN CEO Chris Licht has reportedly “lost the room”, according to CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy.

He added that after speaking with more than a dozen colleagues, one feeling was nearly universal.

“Licht has lost the room,” reported Darcy. “In the eyes of so many at CNN, there isn’t anything Licht can do at this point to win over their support. They’ve hit the wall with him.”

A report from The Daily Beasts’ Lachlan Cartwright specifically named Jake Tapper, Wolf Blitzer, and Erin Burnett as those who have “lost confidence in the boss”.

Many have questioned Licht’s future with the organization after the profile called into question his decision-making and professional acumen to lead the brand forward. Darcy reported that Warner Bros. Discovery chairman David Zaslav “had the same reaction that everyone else did to that article, a person familiar with the WBD chief’s thinking told me. A second person familiar with Zaslav’s thinking said the WBD boss was not happy about The Atlantic story and that he is not blind to what is transpiring at CNN.”

The reporting from Darcy comes after Licht apologized to CNN employees during a Monday morning editorial call. He told staffers his goal should only be in the news if he is “taking arrows” for reporters, hosts, and the network. He admitted he had failed that goal and would “work like hell” to restore their trust in him.