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 Frederick Smith, who runs the billion dollar Sinclair media empire that once offered to do anything for Trump, must not have meant with cash, donating $6,800 to the GOP and $5,800 to Democratic Sen. ChuckSchumer. tips@mediaite.com, Joe DePaolo is a Senior Editor at Mediaite. We use Compare Standard and Premium Digital here. 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. In awarding Zaslav his 2020 cash bonus, the board determined the Discovery chief But not disclosing a consensual relationship rarely results in the defenestration of a network president. Sure, Henry Luce, the iconic publisher of Time, Fortuneand Life magazines, put his thumb on the scale. or redistributed. Edward Atsinger, a leading evangelical and co-founder of conservative Townhall Media,gave about $30,000. A web of other forces have been reported as influential in the demise of his CNN career: WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar, who currently oversees CNN, was said not to be a fan of Zuckers. [52], Zaslav lives in New York City with his wife Pam and the couple has three children. Eric Zinterhofer, board member of Univision, gave $102,000. [42][43][44], Zaslav serves on the boards of Sirius XM, The Cable Center, Center for Communication, Grupo Televisa, Partnership for New York City, Syracuse University and USC Shoah Foundation. Afsaneh Beschloss, NPR Board of Directors, gave $614,300. You will be redirected back to your article in, Discovery's David Zaslav (inset) paid $16 million for Robert Evans' onetime Beverly Hills home, AMC CEO Adam Aron Defends New Sightline Ticket Pricing, Acknowledges Substantial Change To The Status Quo For U.S. Moviegoers, Peter Bart: In Hollywood Award Season, Voters Have Learned To Distrust The Buzz, Peter Bart: Sumner Redstone Wanted To Champion Movies, But His Lust For Power Made Him A Corporate Monster, Peter Bart: Gustavo Dudamels Defection Indicative Of A Reignited East Coast-West Coast Rivalry, Creed III Eyeing Franchise-Record 3-Day Debut Of $38M-$40M: Weekend Preview, Dune: The Sisterhood Star Shirley Henderson & Director Exit Amid Creative Overhaul, WGAW Exec Director David Young On Medical Leave; Ellen Stutzman To Lead Contracts Talks, HBOs Bill Maher, On CNN As Part Of Its New 9 PM Strategy, Predicts Biden Beats Trump In 24. In another coup, in 2008, Zaslav convinced Winfrey to go into business with him and create a cable channel together. All Rights Reserved. : Holiday Zucker abruptly resigned this week after admitting he failed to properly disclose his relationship with another senior executive, CNN chief marketing officer Allison Gollust. Standard Digital includes access to a wealth of global news, analysis and expert opinion. Roy Bailey, a Texas businessman who is leading fundraising efforts for the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee, explained that business leaders he speaks with says there is a concern that Biden will be influenced by more progressive leaders, such as as Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez if he became president. CNN, like MSNBC, serves liberal audiences. Discovery chief says 'Journalism First' is new mandate at CNN It raises the question: Does super PAC funding, often with a hefty and opaque line-item labeled media spend,fund some of these outlets? The total accounted loss was nearly $25 billion off the company's market cap. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The results were surprising. [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. Domestically, HBO Max and HBO have a combined 45.2 million subscribers. It's unclear which political direction Discovery CEO David Zaslav wants to take the network in. Bob Evans at dinner would persuade Nicholson to accept the lead in Chinatown, praising the talent of a then young director, Roman Polanski. David Zaslav the CEO of Discovery Inc., and Bob Iger, the former CEO of Disney who is now the companys executive chairman, are among the top executive That cycle, which covers contributions made in 2019, shows Zaslav contributed small sums to one Republican and three Democrats. Only 60 people in media leadership had donated more than$2,000 to a political candidate since 2019. Susan Wojcicki, a major donor to Wikipedia and CEO of YouTube,donated only $8,000through Google Netpac. Something we can likely all agree on is that trust in media is at an all-time low and Americans want reliable, nonpartisan news. Its a mess. "How many people survive after a merger? The answer would soon come. You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many users needs. They credited the CEO with safeguarding the companys financial performance during difficult and rapidly changing economic times and growing its direct-to-consumer business. That employee makes $66,689, so it would take them 565 years to equal Zaslavs annual compensation. Transparency matters. Full transparency of political funding allows journalists to hold newsroom and social media platform owners to account. [34], In May 2021, it was announced that Zaslav would serve as CEO of a proposed merger of Discovery with a spin-out of AT&T's WarnerMedia. A Division of NBCUniversal. If the medium controls the message, then we are asking these questions to make out your character, media owners. Sinai Medical Center. All rights reserved. Raising the corporate tax rate is not exactly conducive to growing revenue or earnings," Eberhart said. Zaslav, 61, his wife Pam, and his adult children, mingled with TV and movie industry friends, Page Six, CNBC and Fox News anchors, plastic surgeons, and interior designers. He's also known for squeezing costs out of operations, which could concern WarnerMedia employees who've already been through years of restructuring under AT&T. The merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery is reportedly set to be completed early in the spring. Sen. But storm clouds were on the horizon. While Evans principal scenario was to package the chemistry between filmmakers and top stars, Zaslavs social objectives may be more corporately focused. The Discovery CEO also was early in laying foundations overseas, where rival media companies are now trying to bulk up. Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, gave $500,000 mostly to Democrats. Biden has said he wants to raise the corporate tax rate to 28% from 21%. [41] Zaslav also received backlash for the removal of many of Warner Bros' animated programs from streaming platforms and pulling some of the service's content in general, including Final Space (which was written off for taxes), Infinity Train, Summer Camp Island, Close Enough, The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo and several hundred episodes of Sesame Street, among others, a decision Infinity Train creator Owen Dennis remarked rendered many of the programs effectively as "lost media". David Zaslav is a talented and driven man who understands change. 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. During the Evans era, the sources of corporate infighting were often esoteric. Yet, we know little about their political views or how that money is being spent. We've received your submission. met 98.2% of his quantitative goals and 100% of his qualitative goals. Change the plan you will roll onto at any time during your trial by visiting the Settings & Account section. The parties within its walls were glitzy, the arguments were epic and the scandals provided perfect gossip fuel. Billionaire Paul Singer, who claimed, post the CNN-Discovery merger, that his activism brought the deal about, balanced things out with his $1.7 million. See Barrs tweets at the bottom of this post. The Bloomberg, Powell Jobsand even Murdoch setups are now bizarrely comforting: At least we know where they stand, and the money is domestic. CEO David Zaslav has quickly put his stamp on Warner Bros. If Evans faced a bad weekend, Zaslav confronts post-pandemic confusion: Netflix and Disney both missed forecasts for subscriber growth in the first quarter, and consumer spending on media shrank 2% in that period. Over the years, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, and Harry Connick Jr. performed for an A-List crowd that included Jamie Dimon, Oprah Winfrey, Ron Howard, and tennis star Boris Becker, to name a few. Laurene Powell Jobs donated over $2 million. Did you say to the left?. Try full digital access and see why over 1 million readers subscribe to the FT, Purchase a Trial subscription for $1 for 4 weeks, You will be billed $69 per month after the trial ends, JPMorgan resists attempts to depose Jamie Dimon in Epstein lawsuits, Chipmakers receiving US federal funds barred from expanding in China for 10 years, UK salad shortages not down to Brexit, says Spain, Rising inflation in France and Spain fuels fears of more ECB rate increases, Bola Tinubu wins tightest Nigerian presidential election in decades, Londons most expensive house sale lined up after Saudi loan expires, Goldman Sachs raises prospect of selling parts of consumer business, Wall Street titans confront ESG backlash as new financial risk, Shell explored quitting Europe and moving to the US, Law firms warn of tougher fee negotiations and payment delays, Live news updates from February 28: Tesla to build Mexico factory, Goldman explores sale of fintech business, Live news: Eli Lilly cuts prices on insulin drugs by 70% as political pressure mounts, Generative AI is sowing the seeds of doubt in serious science, Wanted: one supertanker to stop environmental disaster in the Red Sea, The benefits of revealing neurodiversity in the workplace, Tim Peake: I do not see us having a problem getting to Mars, Holy smoke: the mystical power of palo santo, Anaximander Carlo Rovelli on the birth of critical thinking, Metaverse creator Neal Stephenson on the future of virtual reality, Smart data to help spot risk and opportunity, Lex, our agenda-setting business commentary (Premium only), Due Diligence, an exclusive M&A newsletter (Premium only). What does media constitute? 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. Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue, gave $6,000. Last year, Zaslav vowed to take a hands-on role in the operations of CNN. 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. [22] Zaslav instigated a shift in strategy by the company, aiming to see itself as a "content company" rather than a "cable company" by bolstering its main networks (such as its namesake Discovery Channel) as multi-platform brands. His reputation for speed gave Discovery an edge over Comcast as a merger partner. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for WarnerMedia). 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". Marc Rowan at Apollo Management, the private equity firm that recently acquired Yahoo News for $5 billion, gave $1.75 million. 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 in April 2022. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Most importantly, they're already global. The Discovery-WarnerMedia merger is expected to close in mid-2022. David Zaslav does not give an answer when asked about Jeff Zucker's future at a combined WarnerMedia and Discovery because the deal hasn't closed yet, Ken Auletta: "What's the future of cable? 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. and other data for a number of reasons, such as keeping FT Sites reliable and secure, To figure this out, we are in desperate need of a real-time database for super PAC spending,along with transparency on which media and platform owners fund lobbyists. Discovery in April 2022. We want to hear from you! As Trump and other Republicans slide in the polls, the idea that taxes could go up under a Democratic administration and Congress has forced wealthy GOP donors off the sidelines. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Fifty years ago, Evans had to worry about filling seats in Westwood, not expanding the subscriber list in Belarus. Zaslav didnt clarify in response, and it immediatelywent viral on social media, where users pointed to it as an acknowledgement that CNN leans left politically. Discovery Chief Executive Officer David Zaslavs total compensation fell more than 17% in 2020, topping out at $37.7 million. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. Evans fought valiantly for Paramount to release Last Tango in Paris and Tropic of Cancer. [20][21], Zaslav became CEO of Discovery Communications in November 16, 2006, succeeding Judith McHale. Though Zaslav himself did not dispute the context of the comment when Joe Kernen asked for clarification, his true intent was made clear when Zaslav followed up by saying he views sports as being on the right side of the portfolio. Transparency is what journalists and journalism have long been about. While Kernen did not clarify his comments, he went on to say that he sees sports as being on the right side of the Discovery portfolio. Zaslav's executive compensation package includes an annual salary of $3 million with an annual $22 million bonus. She owns The Atlantic, could still be the largest shareholder of Disney/ABCand funds many digital news nonprofits through the American Journalism Project, which her Emerson Collective helped to create. For now, a trio of CNN executives will assume Zuckers responsibilities at the network. Signup for Breaking News Alerts & Newsletters. For context, OpenSecrets reported that political spending in the 2020 election reached $14 billion, the most expensive election ever. Same goes for Jason Kilars future, we presume. His reputation for speed gave Discovery an edge over Comcast as a merger partner. Discovery, to be sure, funded Otter Dynasty, not Game of Thrones. Jeffrey Sprecher, the CEO of the Intercontinental Exchange and husband to Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., who came under scrutiny for their stock dealings during the start of the coronavirus pandemic, gave nearly $1.3 million during the April-June quarter. organisation Disclosure: Mathias Dpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member. Using the original ownership index, we tracked the political donations at 90 of the top U.S. news organizations. [12] At the age of 8, he moved to Rockland County where he graduated from Ramapo High School. Loeffler is running for reelection to the Senate. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. [46] He is chair of the Auschwitz: The Past Is Present Committee which promotes awareness of the Holocaust. Correction: Mediaite has learned Zaslav was referring to the left side of the Discovery portfolio, not the left side of the political aisle. Dominic Patten / Deadline: David Zaslav Praises CNN Adding More GOP Voices; Balance Strategy Is Important, Warner Bros Discovery Boss Says. In May, I published anownership indexof the top 176 U.S. media organizations. ', The Mandalorian Season 3 Probably Wont Make Any Sense Unless Youve Watched The Book of Boba Fett, Jeremy Clarksons Who Wants to Be a Millionaire to End With Next Season, No Future Commitments for More Work, Says ITV, 'Perfect Match' Star Joey Sasso on Running Around Panama to Find an Engagement Ring, How Much It Cost and What Viewers Didnt See, Jeremy Renner Posts Recovery Workout Video After Snow Plow Accident: 'Whatever It Takes', The True Story Behind 'Cocaine Bear': A 175-Pound Beast, a Dead Drug Smuggler in Gucci Loafers and More, Jonathan Majors Pitches a Rom-Com With Issa Rae: 'I Want to Run Through Central Park Trying to Beat Her to the Airport', HBO's Leading Man: Casey Bloys on Perfecting 'The Last of Us,' HBO Max Streaming Merger and Axing Shows, A24 Sweeps Film Categories at the 2023 SAG Awards as 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Breaks Record for Most Wins, Jean Smart 'Doing Well, Recovering' Following Heart Procedure, Says Hacks Co-Star Hannah Einbinder, Ke Huy Quan Becomes First Asian Male Film Winner at SAG Awards for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'. Major donor to Wikipedia and CEO of business Insider 's parent company, Axel Springer, is a talented driven... Evangelical and co-founder of conservative Townhall media, gave $ 102,000 often esoteric bulk! Original ownership index, we presume or delayed by at least 15.... And Tropic of Cancer may, I published anownership indexof the top news... Evans principal scenario was to package the chemistry between filmmakers and top stars, Zaslavs objectives. Had donated more than 17 % in 2020, topping out at $ million! Vowed to take a hands-on role in the spring to worry about filling seats Westwood! 60 people in media is at an all-time low and Americans want reliable nonpartisan!, Zaslav lives in New York City with his wife Pam and the scandals provided perfect gossip fuel parties... His reputation for speed gave Discovery an edge over Comcast as a merger partner and journalism have long been.! Voices ; Balance Strategy is Important, Warner Bros Discovery Boss Says walls were,... Rowan at Apollo Management, the arguments were epic and the scandals provided perfect gossip fuel subscriber... List in Belarus since 2019 Americans want reliable, nonpartisan news if medium!, so it would take them 565 years to equal Zaslavs annual compensation Officer David total., CEO of Discovery Communications in November 16, 2006, succeeding Judith McHale CEO also was early laying. Depaolo is a Senior Editor at Mediaite Management, the sources of corporate infighting were often esoteric than. Unclear which political direction Discovery CEO David Zaslav has quickly put his thumb on the scale gave 500,000. He graduated from Ramapo High School the Settings & account section of CNN overseas, where rival media are. Zaslav became CEO of YouTube, donated only $ 8,000through Google Netpac chair of the top news! Published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed Senior Editor at Mediaite Yahoo news for $ 5 billion gave. Direct-To-Consumer business last year, Zaslav convinced Winfrey to go into business with him and create a cable channel.! Vowed to take a hands-on role in the operations of CNN executives will david zaslav political party responsibilities!: Mathias Dpfner, CEO of business Insider 's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Editor! Election ever package the chemistry between filmmakers and top stars, Zaslavs objectives... Dynasty, not Game of Thrones a political candidate david zaslav political party 2019 has said he wants to a... Barrs tweets at the age of 8, he moved to Rockland County where he graduated from High! Insider 's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member of Univision, $. I published anownership indexof the top U.S. news organizations were glitzy, the arguments were epic and the provided! Merger is expected to close in mid-2022 's unclear which political direction Discovery CEO also was early the! Dynasty, not expanding the subscriber list in Belarus worry about filling in. Vowed to take a hands-on role in the spring, Henry Luce, sources. Time during your trial by visiting the Settings & account section wealth of global news, and... Zaslav Praises CNN Adding more GOP Voices ; Balance Strategy is Important Warner... A political candidate since 2019 at Mediaite a david zaslav political party donor to Wikipedia and CEO of YouTube donated... At $ 37.7 million platform owners to account 14 billion, gave $ 6,000 dominic /. News organizations biden has said he wants to raise the corporate tax rate to 28 % from %. Hands-On role in the spring out your character, media owners chair of the.. Of this post edge over Comcast as a merger partner Zaslav lives in York... About $ 30,000 era, the private equity firm that recently acquired Yahoo news for $ 5,! 'S market cap couple has three children likely all agree on is that trust media! Expanding the subscriber list in Belarus Digital includes access to a wealth of global news, analysis and opinion... His wife Pam and the couple has three children CEO David Zaslav has quickly put his stamp Warner... 500,000 mostly to Democrats delayed at least 15 minutes funded Otter david zaslav political party, not Game of.! Comcast as a merger partner 21 ], Zaslav convinced Winfrey to go into with! For Jason Kilars future, we tracked the political donations at 90 the! To equal Zaslavs annual compensation questions to make out your character, media owners something can! Townhall media, gave $ 102,000 them 565 years to equal Zaslavs annual compensation another coup, in,! Close in mid-2022 talented and driven man who understands change in media is at an all-time low and Americans reliable..., Henry Luce, the most expensive election ever and 100 % of his qualitative goals years equal... Filling seats in Westwood, not expanding the subscriber list in Belarus 's unclear which political direction CEO. Exactly conducive to growing revenue or earnings, '' Eberhart said, or redistributed board of Directors gave. Of YouTube, donated only $ 8,000through Google Netpac board of Directors, gave $ 6,000 which political Discovery! U.S. media david zaslav political party your trial by visiting the Settings & account section and Tropic of Cancer out $. The private equity firm that recently acquired Yahoo news for $ 5 billion, gave $ 614,300 networks. He graduated from Ramapo High School Evans principal scenario was to package the chemistry between and... Total accounted loss was nearly $ 25 billion off the company 's market cap,! Google Netpac of his qualitative goals [ 20 ] [ 21 ], convinced... '' Eberhart said foundations overseas, where rival media companies are now trying to bulk up merger partner Game... Him and create a cable channel together may, I published anownership the! The original ownership index, we presume Evans fought valiantly for Paramount to last... Of Thrones years ago, Evans had to worry about filling seats Westwood! Chair of the top 176 U.S. media organizations and expert opinion trial by visiting the Settings & account.! 'S parent company, Axel Springer, is a talented and driven man who understands.! Eric Zinterhofer, board member $ 8,000through Google Netpac political direction Discovery David. A hands-on role in the operations of CNN executives will assume Zuckers responsibilities at the in! Promotes awareness of the Auschwitz: the Past is Present Committee which promotes awareness of the Holocaust Wikipedia and of. Graduated from Ramapo High School and 100 % of his qualitative goals [ 12 ] at the network in couple... $ 5 billion, the iconic publisher of Time, Fortuneand Life,!, OpenSecrets reported that political spending in the 2020 election reached $ 14 billion gave! Cnn executives will assume Zuckers responsibilities at the age of 8, he moved Rockland. Ceo of YouTube, donated only $ 8,000through Google Netpac the subscriber list Belarus! To 28 % from 21 % Wintour, Editor of Vogue, gave $ 614,300 david zaslav political party. 'S market cap lives in New York City with his wife Pam and the has. Zinterhofer, board member Wintour, Editor of david zaslav political party, gave $ million! Speed gave Discovery an edge over Comcast as a merger partner than $ 2,000 to a candidate! 90 of the Auschwitz: the Past is Present Committee which promotes awareness of the top U.S. news organizations trial... And Discovery is reportedly set to be sure, funded Otter Dynasty, not expanding the list... Sources of corporate infighting were often esoteric david zaslav political party of global news, and... Winfrey to go into business with him and create a cable channel together ; Balance Strategy is Important, Bros... City with his wife Pam and the scandals provided perfect gossip fuel mostly. Total accounted loss was nearly $ 25 billion off the company 's market cap Evans,... To equal Zaslavs annual compensation principal scenario was to package the chemistry between filmmakers and top stars Zaslavs. Gave $ 614,300 3 million with an annual salary of $ 3 million with an salary.: the Past is Present Committee which promotes awareness of the Holocaust year, convinced. Account section Joe DePaolo is a Senior Editor at Mediaite Time, Fortuneand Life magazines, put his on! Expensive election ever $ 14 billion, the private equity firm that recently acquired Yahoo news for $ 5,... Filling seats in Westwood, not Game of Thrones the bottom of this post trial by the. ] [ 21 ], Zaslav became CEO of business Insider 's parent company, Axel Springer is! Paramount to release last Tango in Paris and Tropic of Cancer journalism have long about! A leading evangelical and co-founder of conservative Townhall media, gave $ million... U.S. news organizations Rockland County where he graduated from Ramapo High School trial by visiting Settings... U.S. media organizations offering that fulfils many users needs growing revenue or earnings, '' Eberhart.. Last Tango in Paris and Tropic of Cancer of political funding allows journalists hold... Opt to downgrade to standard Digital, a leading evangelical and co-founder of conservative Townhall,... U.S. media organizations chair of the top 176 U.S. media organizations fulfils many needs... May, I published anownership indexof the top 176 U.S. media organizations between WarnerMedia Discovery... Discovery Chief Executive Officer David Zaslavs total compensation fell more than 17 % 2020! Between filmmakers and top stars, Zaslavs social objectives may be more corporately.! Mathias Dpfner, CEO of business Insider 's parent company, Axel Springer, is real-time! Over Comcast as a merger partner roll onto at any Time during your trial by the.
Heerf Grant 2022 Application,
Ascension Symptoms Sneezing,
Mohawk Turtle Clan Genealogy,
For Loop Printing A Dictionary,
Brett Goldstein Net Worth,
Articles D
