Licht’s expected appointment to replace Jeff Zucker as chief of CNN was widely reported over the weekend. Before moving into latenight TV as Stephen Colbert’s top producer, Licht was the chief executive behind the CBS This Morning news program and Morning Joe on MSNBC.
The CBS EVP of special programming will be named as soon as next week to the job, according to an executive familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak on personnel. He would not be able to take over until the deal giving CNN new corporate ownership gets federal approval, expected early this spring.
Chris Licht, the executive producer of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, will oversee the news division’s programming and development beginning June 6.
Report: CBS Wants Scarborough, Brzezinski
Chris Licht, the well respected executive producer of MSNBC’s buzzy Morning Joe, is likely to announce that he is leaving the show to take the top spot on CBS’s struggling Early Show. But CBS has a bigger prize in mind with that possible hire, wooing Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski to come host that show when their contracts are up within the year.
