(Reuters)—CNN CEO Chris Licht will be leaving the media company.
The news was first reported by the website Puck on Wednesday morning, and Licht confirmed to Axios that he is stepping down.
Licht, a former CBS executive producer who replaced Jeff Zucker at CNN, has been under pressure in the days following a damning report in the Atlantic magazine.
Among other criticism, Licht has taken heat for the network’s decision to broadcast a May 10 town hall with former Republican president Donald Trump. CNN’s ratings have been sagging, even as the company attempts to get more Republican viewers.
Licht pushed to moderate the network's image, firing anchors including Don Lemon and Brian Stelter who were seen as stridently partisan. His efforts were met with resistance from employees of CNN.
(Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D’Souza and Nick Zieminski)