David Zaslav Sees ‘Opportunity’ Amid Industry Turmoil as Moguls Convene in Sun Valley
06.07.2022 - 02:47
/ variety.com
Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterSUN VALLEY, Idaho — David Zaslav was upbeat as he arrived in Sun Valley, Idaho on Tuesday for Allen & Co.’s gathering of business media and tech moguls. The Warner Bros. Discovery CEO had kind words for Netflix and “Stranger Things,” and he told reporters that he expects the annual summit to be “a great week” amid “a lot of turmoil in the business.”Zaslav indicated that Warner Bros.
Discovery is weighing quality vs. quantity concerns as it plots strategy for the combined company’s streaming future.“That means, I think, a lot of opportunity,” Zaslav told Variety as he pulled up at the Sun Valley Lodge to the invitation-only conference. “And Warner Bros.
Discovery’s got great, quality content. So I think the world has changed. And it’s not about how much, it’s about how good.
And so we’re pretty excited about our new company and getting to see everybody in this beautiful setting. It’s going to be a lot of fun.” Formerly the CEO of Discovery, Zaslav has been running the renamed Warner Bros. Discovery since the acquisition of WarnerMedia from AT&T closed in April.
Among Zaslav’s first moves at the helm was to hire Chris Licht as leader of CNN chief, following the ouster of Jeff Zucker earlier this year, and shuttering the cable news network’s short-lived streamer CNN+.On Tuesday, Zaslav responded to a question about low ratings at CNN, which has not seen a ratings boost from its coverage of the Jan. 6 hearings over the last month.“I think Chris is doing a great job pivoting CNN,” Zaslav said. “Journalism first.
America needs a news network where everybody can come and be heard; Republicans, Democrats. I think you’re seeing more of that at CNN. I think it’s the greatest news brand in the world
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