(Reuters) – CNN’s new CEO Mark Thompson plans to combine all newsgathering operations of the news network into one unit that would serve its television, streaming and digital platforms, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
Thompson is also looking to monetize CNN’s offerings, potentially through subscriptions, he said in an interview with the Journal. He intends to take advantage of the vertical video format that is popular with younger consumers, but did not announce any concrete plans for new products.
“I’m not even sure that subscription is the right pathway for CNN,” Thompson was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
CNN declined to comment in response to a Reuters request.
The WSJ also reported that Alex MacCallum, who was most recently the Washington Post’s revenue chief, would join CNN in March as its executive vice president of digital products and services.
MacCallum will oversee efforts to develop products and subscriptions, the Journal added.
CNN-parent Warner Bros Discovery appointed Thompson to the CEO role last year, tasking the former New York Times and BBC chief with reviving the news network beset with sagging ratings and falling profits.
Thompson replaced Chris Licht at CNN, who had tried to boost viewership by attracting more Republican viewers.
Warner Bros Discovery in April 2022 shuttered its CNN+ streaming service less than a month after its highly touted launch, while the executive who helped design its strategy also departed the company.
(Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
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