CNN President Jeff Zucker held a town hall meeting addressing the staff at the network what occurred over the weekend with the firing of former anchor Chris Cuomo.
Zucker first stated that when it comes to finding a replacement for Cuomo’s timeslot, they’ll consider diversity. Those in charge of the search will look “at all possibilities. Obviously, as we’ve said before, diversity is always a factor that we will take into account.”
The CNN boss then elaborated on what led to their decision to terminate Cuomo. Zucker stated that Cuomo’s behavior clashed with the network’s standards and practices in a way that was “too far and deserved termination.”
“Chris has not been involved in CNN’s extensive coverage of the allegations against Governor Cuomo — on-air or behind the scenes. In part because, as he has said on his show, he could never be objective,” Zucker said.
“But also because he often serves as a sounding board for his brother. However, it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governor’s staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward.”
Last week information released by the New York Attorney General’s office showed that the former CNN anchor was participating in strategy talks with his brother, then-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. The former politician faced an onslaught of sexual harassment accusations, resulting in him resigning from his position.
When further discussing the situation, Zucker went on to say that he has no regrets about firing Cuomo, adding he felt “comfortable with the decisions that [CNN] made” regarding the decision.
Eduardo Razo is the Assistant Content Editor for BNM, which includes writing daily news stories on the news media industry. He can be found on Twitter @eddierazo_ or you can reach him by email at eddie1991razo@gmail.com.
