The media-news program “Reliable Sources,” hosted by Brian Stelter and airing on CNN since 1993, is the most recent piece of content to be cut under Warner Bros. Discovery’s cost-cutting policies.
On Sunday, August 21, the show will air its final edition after evolving from a drab public affairs program in its early years to a forward-thinking program that frequently attacked Fox News and President Donald Trump under former CNN CEO Jeff Zucker. Brian Stelter, its anchor, is leaving the organization.
Brian Stelter expanded the program with a six-days-per-week newsletter and, for a brief while, a companion program on the now-defunct streaming service CNN+ after joining CNN from The New York Times in 2013.
He also became a symbol for CNN during Zucker’s leadership, when the network shed its reputation as a bland provider of middle-of-the-road news and enabled its anchors to express more emotion and enthusiasm about the stories they covered.
Stelter, the author of “Hoax!,” a book that explores Fox News Channel’s internal operations and journalistic procedures, frequently focused “Reliable Sources” on issues like media polarization and disinformation.
Chris Licht, the new CEO of CNN and a former executive at CBS, has outlined a strategy to restore the network’s reputation as a news source. But he does so at a time when Warner Bros.
Discovery, the company that owns CNN, is trying to save $3 billion in expenses and is dealing with a significant debt load from acquiring WarnerMedia from AT&T.
In addition to axing shows including Samantha Bee’s “Full Frontal,” a soon-to-be released “Batgirl” movie, and HBO Max, the firm has also implemented layoffs.
Chris Wallace’s new show and a newsmagazine with a focus on enterprise and feature reporting are among the additions Licht has already said he expects to make to CNN’s Sunday lineup.