Edward Atsinger, a leading evangelical and co-founder of conservative Townhall Media,gave about $30,000. Discovery and has publicly committed to keeping CNN after the merger. 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. Scrambling to walk back the comments, Discoverys team said Zaslav often uses the phrases the left or the right to reference current and future business initiatives. Have a tip or story idea? In a digital age, there are many new ways to influence. Later in the CNBC interview, Zaslav referred to growth on the right side of the company, which he described as including WarnerMedia-owned HBO and a growing portfolio of sports rights. Of those donations, $1 million went to America First Action, a pro-Trump super PAC. Zaslav was speaking at the Paley International Council Summit when he made the remarks, which were covered by several news outlets virtually attending the media event. Philip Anschutz, owner of the Washington Examiner, gave $168,500. Biden has said he wants to raise the corporate tax rate to 28% from 21%. Got a confidential news tip? CNNs political stance is a source of frequent scrutiny in the news industry. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. All Rights Reserved. The executive who is soon to take over CNN appeared to make a candid admission about where he sees the network. [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. You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many users needs. Under Zuckers leadership, CNN cultivated an antagonistic relationship with former President Donald Trump and other prominent conservatives. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. "Was there any conjecture that John Malone is behind the curtain? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. His Facebook page is full of old school friendships and trips with the former GE CEO, Jack Welch. Too many people in power are gaming the system. Discovery. ", Zaslavs comments contradict a Deadline report that Malone "made it known that corporate procedures had to be followed to the letter in regards to Zucker," therefore, "being that WarnerMedias standards of business conduct require disclosure of relationships that develop with a boss and subordinate, Zuckers goose was officially cooked.". Eric Zinterhofer, board member of Univision, gave $102,000. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Full transparency of political funding allows journalists to hold newsroom and social media platform owners to account. Malone, who sits on the Discovery Communications Inc., board of directors, said in November he wanted to see CNNrevert to nonpartisan journalism following thecompletion of a mergerthat would put it under the Discovery umbrella. We've received your submission. A Division of NBCUniversal. James Murdoch, who left the family Fox News business, donated over $2.25 When Discovery assumes control of CNN, Zaslav will have a key decision to make right out of the box as it will have to replace newly-resigned CNN chief Jeff Zucker. And then were the leader in news to the left, Zaslav told CNBC on Friday. offers FT membership to read for free. A Discovery spokesperson told the Post that Zaslav didnt finish his thought, adding that he uses the phrase to organize his conversations around Discoverys business. Zaslav made a similar remark during an AT&T and Discovery joint news conference in May 2021, describing the left side of the joint company as everything other than the content. He's unsentimental and quick to rotate executives if they are not performing, though his key aides have been with him for years. In his contract extension, Zaslav also received stock options valued at $190 million. According to campaignmoney.com, during the 2020 election cycle Zaslav donated $124,250 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee out of his total $253,250 in political donations. Market data provided by Factset. This time, the bulk of Zaslavs compensation came from stock awards ($12.5 million) and non-equity incentive plan compensation ($21.8 million). John Malone said it would be good if CNN had some journalists, that would be where Id start," CNBC anchor Joe Kernen said, paraphrasing Malones 2021 remarks. The merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery is reportedly set to be completed early in the spring. Sinai Medical Center. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox. Sprecher also gave at least $106,500 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the official campaign arm of Republicans running for Senate seats. Story tips can be sent tobrian.flood@fox.comand on Twitter: @briansflood. Talk to David about European or Latin American TV, and he knows the details and the people there." Look up your friends and patriotsat the FEC. That was down from the $45.8 million that Zaslav pulled in the previous year and significantly down from the massive $129.4 million in compensation that the Discovery chief earned in 2018, which included the value of stock options that amounted to more than $100 million as part of a new employment contract. Senator from Idaho Jim Risch, amounted to a total of $5,600. But here is where it fell short. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) 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. If only houses could talk: This one, however, is a battered shadow of its proud Regency past, its interior walls torn apart, trucks parked on its tennis court. His well-documented views were notsecret. [46] He is chair of the Auschwitz: The Past Is Present Committee which promotes awareness of the Holocaust. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. RobertIger, executive chairman of the Walt Disney Co. and who once ran ABC, gave over $1 million. Discovery in April 2022. Discovery Chief Executive Officer David Zaslav s total compensation fell more than 17% in 2020, SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, Less Than Half of U.S. Discovery+ Subscribers Are Also HBO Max Customers, David Zaslav Says, Discoverys David Zaslav Wants Industry to Leave Nielsen in the Dust. Did you say to the left?. David But not disclosing a consensual relationship rarely results in the defenestration of a network president. Media tends to be a reflection of where the country is. Zaslav laughed but did not retract his comment. David Zaslav Sees Opportunity Amid Industry Turmoil as Moguls Convene in Sun Valley Warner Bros. That cycle, which covers contributions made in 2019, shows Zaslav contributed small sums to one Republican and three Democrats. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has reported financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31st 2022. Zaslav is also one of the highest-paid CEOs in media history. He's used his salary to buy some of the most sought-after real estate around, buying the Hollywood home of "The Godfather" film director Robert Evans for $16 million and snapping up Conan O'Brien's apartment on Central Park West. The combination has promised $3 billion in synergies. Zaslav and other Discovery brass reportedly heard about the resignation just hours before it happened. Last November, Zaslav told Deadline that he would take a hands-on approach at CNN and other WarnerMedia properties. Legal Statement. Where the country was when we launched MSNBC was much more fact-based and less divided.. Lowe remains on Discovery's board and a personal friend, said a Zaslav friend. "From my perspective, news is going to be a critical element," Zaslav said. "How many people survive after a merger? Yet, we know little about their political views or how that money is being spent. Discovery CEO David Zaslav addressed the companys controversial decision this week to cancel releases for Batgirl and Scoob! Sign up for notifications from Insider! Per Barr, Zaslav said he is waiting for the deal to close before discussing or simply divulging those types of plans. 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 Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Media tends to be a reflection of where the country is. Before her recent spending spree, Catz had given very few political contributions this cycle. In media news today, an AP reporter spars with the State Departments Ned Price over allegations on Russia, a report claims that Jeff Zucker and Allison Gollust gave Andrew Cuomo COVID talking points to combat Trump, and an MSNBC broadcast gets interrupted by a Lets Go Brandon flag. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. David Zaslav, Discovery's CEO, will lead the combined Discovery-WarnerMedia. Discovery executives are treating Zuckersunexpected exit as a fresh startfor CNN, according to the networks own media reporter, Brian Stelter. For context, OpenSecrets reported that political spending in the 2020 election reached $14 billion, the most expensive election ever. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said Friday on CNBC that he had nothing to do with Jeff Zuckers CNN exit. "I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with, and actually have journalists, which would be unique and refreshing,"Malonesaid in an interview that aired on CNBC. Warner Bros. His backers have praised him for keeping his average cost of content to about $400,000 an hour while his rivals now spend $5 million and more. 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". The index wasmore popular than anticipated. But his new target list may include Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Reese Witherspoon or even the old Evans crowd like Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman. He also said, per Deadline: I think overall wed probably be better off if we just had news networks in America, rather than those with an opinion element. The Discovery-WarnerMedia merger is expected to close in mid-2022. David Zaslav is a talented and driven man who understands change. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for WarnerMedia) (Getty Images). Most importantly, they're already global. 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. Zaslav is on the board of Mexican programming giant Televisa, now merging with Univision. The lack of transparency in super PAC donations loomed as we scoured the FEC database. His sole donation to a Republican politician, U.S. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Our system is awash in billions of political dollars. Longtime Discovery chief David Zaslav, who will soon oversee CNN as part of his companys merger with WarnerMedia, called his future competitor Fox News For now, a trio of CNN executives will assume Zuckers responsibilities at the network. Last week,Discovery reportedit had reached 20 million paying streaming subscribers worldwide by the end of September. Discovery CEO David Zaslav praised CNN on Friday and said news is going to be really critical to the future of the soon to be combined Warner Bros. In an interview on CNBC Friday, Discovery CEO David Zaslav, as part of an assessment of his brands portfolio, took stock of CNNs place in the public consciousness and said this: CNBC host Joe Kernen immediately seized on the comment. [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. The parties within its walls were glitzy, the arguments were epic and the scandals provided perfect gossip fuel. It's now available in every corner of the globe. So maybe Zaslav isnt offended by the transparent political bias According to Deadline, he even made it known that corporate procedures had to be followed to the letter in regards to Zucker., Have a tip we should know? He doesn't.". personalising content and ads, providing social media features and to "Who do they want managing the economy: Trump (Mnuchin, Powell, Kudlow) or Biden (Bernie, Warren and AOC)?," Bailey said. You may change or cancel your subscription or trial at any time online. Zaslavs generous compensation plan continues the trend of rich COVID era paydays for media CEOs, some of whom made a show of forgoing a salary when the pandemic hit, only to quietly return to their former levels as the crisis dragged on. [2] Zaslav spearheaded the transaction between AT&T and Discovery to combine with WarnerMedia and create the combined Warner Bros. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2022 and Malones comment left many CNN staffers with a sense of uneasiness about the networks future. Heidi Legg is the lead research fellow at the Future of Media Project at the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University. We use We now live in a much less transparent time. [35][36] Zaslav's executive compensation package includes an annual salary of $3 million with an annual $22 million bonus. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Email us. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Who is David Zaslav? Man, you werent kidding, Kernen said, also laughing. Over the years, he's secured the $1.6 billion European rights to the Olympics and the $2 billion PGA golf rights; bought Scripps Networks, owner of HGTV and Food Network; and launched OWN with Oprah Winfrey. [51], In 2022, he was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People. Where the country was when we launched MSNBC was much more fact-based and less divided.. [13][14] He was captain of the varsity tennis team.[15]. Sinclair Broadcasting and Nexstar executives give to the National Association of Broadcasters. met 98.2% of his quantitative goals and 100% of his qualitative goals. 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? So I think it's going to be around a lot longer than people think.". Other top-paid Discovery executives included Chief Financial Officer Gunnar Wiedenfels, who earned $6.9 million in total compensation, down from the $7.4 million he earned in 2019. It is intended to be the backbone of our civilization and functioning governance. Why? Premium access for businesses and educational institutions. Together, Discovery and WarnerMedia will span every genre from Hollywood movies and TV shows to reality TV, to news and sports. The new entity will inherit the biggest share of cable viewers in the U.S., accounting for 29% of viewing time. Any changes made can be done at any time and will become effective at the end of the trial period, allowing you to retain full access for 4 weeks, even if you downgrade or cancel. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. In his contract extension, Zaslav also received stock options valued at $190 million, making him one of the highest-paid entertainment executives in the world. That employee makes $66,689, so it would take them 565 years to equal Zaslavs annual compensation. For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the Settings & Account section. A Discovery spokesperson told the Post that Zaslav didnt finish his thought, adding that he uses the phrase to organize his conversations around Discoverys business. Email him here: joed@mediaite.com Follow him on Twitter: @joe_depaolo. Overall, the combined content spend of WarnerMedia and Discovery totaled $19 billion last year, more than Disney or even Netflix. Discovery cant play any role in CNNs operations until the deal concludes. 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. His responsibilities extended to Bravo, CNBC World, SCI FI, ShopNBC, Sleuth, Telemundo, Telemundo Puerto Rico, mun2, Trio, Universal HD, USA Network, NBC Weather Plus and the Olympics on cable. Sen. Dominic Patten / Deadline: David Zaslav Praises CNN Adding More GOP Voices; Balance Strategy Is Important, Warner Bros Discovery Boss Says. Spurred by the rapid proliferation of social media platforms, with questionable content,and a formerpresident who pummeled our free press repeatedly, its no wonder Americans are left wary and our information ecosystem is in shambles. Then, sheepishly taking back his question, Kernen said, that was an aside. Yet Zaslav's fight for Scripps created bad blood with then-Viacom chief executive, Bob Bakish, who was significantly outbid on the deal. "Squawk Box" co-anchor Andrew Ross Sorkintold Zaslav his phone was "blowing up" from CNN staffers who are "desperate to know" his personal views about the Zucker situation. Definitely to the left, Kernen said. [33], Under his leadership, Discovery began trading as a public company in 2008, became a Fortune 500 company in 2014 and acquired Scripps Networks Interactive in 2018. He was granted no options. [50], In 2017, Zaslav was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame. 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 TV deal maker will head the new venture formed by his companys merger with AT&Ts WarnerMedia, as he seeks to build a streaming juggernaut. Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg fund swaths of lobbyists in Washington. Add to that the billions of dollars from super PACsused to fund political content pushed by new digital channels and influencers. But storm clouds were on the horizon. The Bloomberg, Powell Jobsand even Murdoch setups are now bizarrely comforting: At least we know where they stand, and the money is domestic. The results were surprising. During the Evans era, the sources of corporate infighting were often esoteric. : Holiday Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Its only occasional visitor is David Zaslav, newly minted king of Hollywood, who comes to commune with its ghosts and summon up plans for its glistening future. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. Dan Eberhart, a longtime prominent Republican donor, told CNBC he senses that wealthy financiers are going to start lining up behind Trump. Same goes for Jason Kilars future, we presume. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. CNN, which has struggled to attract viewers during the Biden era,is part of the deal and many industry observers felt the decision to revert to more straight news began this week when Zucker was forced out. The tennis court, he decided, needed to be moved three feet, and changed to a clay surface. Zaslavwill lead the combined company called Warner Bros. 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. Zaslav is expected to name Zuckers permanent replacement when the merger closes. And maybe, those legendary parties might start again. [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". Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said Friday on CNBC that he had nothing to do with Jeff Zuckers CNN exit. Did you say to the left? Kernan said, before taking back the question, saying he probably shouldnt have said that.. 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 David Zaslav, who led the merger with CNN and Discovery, donated over $240,000. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for WarnerMedia). This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, People helping raise money for these Republican organizations told CNBC that the idea of taxes going up has struck a nerve with GOP donors and forced them off the sidelines after being largely absent throughout the 2020 election cycle. Did Elon Musk, one of the biggest donors to Wikipedia, reallygive only $40,000 to political leaders and causesin 2020-21? Last year, Zaslav vowed to take a hands-on role in the operations of CNN. [20][21], Zaslav became CEO of Discovery Communications in November 16, 2006, succeeding Judith McHale. Domestically, HBO Max and HBO have a combined 45.2 million subscribers. [6][7], Zaslav was born to a Polish and Ukrainian Jewish family[8][9][10][11] in Brooklyn, New York. But Zaslav is likely to get at least a warm initial reception. 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. If you do nothing, you will be auto-enrolled in our premium digital monthly subscription plan and retain complete access for $69 per month. For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital, click here. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. Zaslav also received $16,800 for a car allowance, $501 for home office expenses, $16,930 for personal security services, and $355,355 for private plane use. Discovery , To sustain that position, Zaslav will have to drastically readjust his spending habits. The most significant donation record of any media owner was Michael Bloomberg, who donated $140 million during his run for president. Zaslav made a similar remark during an AT&T and Discovery joint news conference in May 2021, describingthe left side of the joint company as everything other than the content.. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. Simply log into Settings & Account and select "Cancel" on the right-hand side. They are doing that, and there's still time," Eberhart said. WebHome. [3][4][5] He previously served as the Chief Executive Officer and president of Discovery, Inc. beginning on November 16, 2006 and ending on April 8, 2022, when it was merged with WarnerMedia. Jeff Zucker is considered to be the person responsible for the CNNs shift away from the nonpartisan outlet it was before his tenure. 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. Zaslavs comment drew a surprised response from CNBC host Joe Kernan, who wondered aloud if it was a reference to CNNs ideological bent. And when asked about the future of cable, the former protector of the cable bundle acknowledged that the medium is declining, but believes it will still stick around a lot longer than people think.. Zaslav spearheaded the transaction between AT&T and Discovery to combine with WarnerMedia and create the combined Warner Bros. Discovery is required to publish the ratio to Zaslavs pay to those of its median employee as part of the Dodd-Frank law. Media mogul William Randolph Hearst famously declared, This is my newspaper, these are my views, take or leave it. Hearst boldly placed his editorials on the front page, with his picture, signed for Gods sake. There was no subterfuge. Zaslav, known for delivering fast yes or nos to business partners, would be able to move ahead with speed.
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