CNN President Jeff Zucker Resigns After Relationship with Colleague

RUSH TRANSCRIPT BOLDUAN We ░░░░░░░░ news now to report ░░░░░░░░ our network CNN President ░░░░░░░░ Zucker has just resigned ░░░░░░░░ disclosing a consensual relationship ░░░░░░░░ a colleague Jeff has ░░░░░░░░ our company led CNN ░░░░░░░░ the last 9 years ░░░░░░░░ me now is CNN ░░░░░░░░ media correspondent host of ░░░░░░░░ Sources Brian Stelter Brian ░░░░░░░░ more you have STELTER ░░░░░░░░ you said Kate Zucker ░░░░░░░░ been a larger than ░░░░░░░░ figure at this organization ░░░░░░░░ nearly a decade a ░░░░░░░░ figure and now his ░░░░░░░░ is stunning this newsroom ░░░░░░░░ the news industry And ░░░░░░░░ me read his memo ░░░░░░░░ full and then put ░░░░░░░░ into context for the ░░░░░░░░ He wrote to staffers ░░░░░░░░ few minutes ago quote ░░░░░░░░ part of the investigation ░░░░░░░░ Chris Cuomo s tenure ░░░░░░░░ CNN Cuomo of course ░░░░░░░░ last month Zucker says ░░░░░░░░ was asked about a ░░░░░░░░ relationship with my closest ░░░░░░░░ someone I have worked ░░░░░░░░ for more than 20 ░░░░░░░░ I acknowledged the relationship ░░░░░░░░ in recent years I ░░░░░░░░ required to disclose it ░░░░░░░░ it began but I ░░░░░░░░ t I was wrong ░░░░░░░░ a result I am ░░░░░░░░ today Zucker continues in ░░░░░░░░ memo here I came ░░░░░░░░ CNN on January 28 ░░░░░░░░ Together we had nine ░░░░░░░░ years I certainly wish ░░░░░░░░ tenure here had ended ░░░░░░░░ But it was an ░░░░░░░░ run And I loved ░░░░░░░░ I am grateful to ░░░░░░░░ thousands of incredibly talented ░░░░░░░░ and Turner Sports employees ░░░░░░░░ helped make this such ░░░░░░░░ joy for me and ░░░░░░░░ a success for all ░░░░░░░░ us I wish each ░░░░░░░░ of you nothing but ░░░░░░░░ best years ahead That ░░░░░░░░ from Jeff Zucker a ░░░░░░░░ minutes ago a stunner ░░░░░░░░ the CNN News and ░░░░░░░░ Turner Sports which he ░░░░░░░░ oversaw in recent years ░░░░░░░░ the head of WarnerMedia ░░░░░░░░ Kilar just announced that ░░░░░░░░ will be announcing an ░░░░░░░░ leadership plan shortly In ░░░░░░░░ words he s no ░░░░░░░░ a new boss right ░░░░░░░░ That tells you this ░░░░░░░░ happen very suddenly He ░░░░░░░░ to a consensual relationship ░░░░░░░░ his closest colleague That ░░░░░░░░ is Allison Gullis She ░░░░░░░░ worked with Zucker for ░░░░░░░░ They were together at ░░░░░░░░ in the Today show ░░░░░░░░ the 90s then at ░░░░░░░░ universal now at CNN ░░░░░░░░ warner media According to ░░░░░░░░ memo here it was ░░░░░░░░ consensual relationship that evolved ░░░░░░░░ recent years and he ░░░░░░░░ not disclose it and ░░░░░░░░ that is why he ░░░░░░░░ resigning Kate while we ░░░░░░░░ speaking here a statement ░░░░░░░░ Allison gullist as well ░░░░░░░░ top executive at CNN ░░░░░░░░ is remaining with the ░░░░░░░░ and here s what ░░░░░░░░ says Jeff and I ░░░░░░░░ been close friends and ░░░░░░░░ for over 20 years ░░░░░░░░ our relationship changed during ░░░░░░░░ I regret that we ░░░░░░░░ t disclose it at ░░░░░░░░ right time I m ░░░░░░░░ proud of my time ░░░░░░░░ CNN and look forward ░░░░░░░░ continuing the great work ░░░░░░░░ do every day This ░░░░░░░░ a scenario where you ░░░░░░░░ people who are working ░░░░░░░░ for a long time ░░░░░░░░ they start a personal ░░░░░░░░ and because they re ░░░░░░░░ acknowledging they did not ░░░░░░░░ it at the time ░░░░░░░░ saying he should have ░░░░░░░░ it right away that ░░░░░░░░ why he said he ░░░░░░░░ resigned effective immediately Kate ░░░░░░░░ both know Jeff Zucker ░░░░░░░░ been The Rock for ░░░░░░░░ organization The last few ░░░░░░░░ he has not been ░░░░░░░░ the morning editorial calls ░░░░░░░░ people even noticed and ░░░░░░░░ if something was amiss ░░░░░░░░ don t think anyone ░░░░░░░░ this coming this morning ░░░░░░░░ an announcement like this ░░░░░░░░ think if zucker was ░░░░░░░░ this call this morning ░░░░░░░░ know what he would ░░░░░░░░ He would say it ░░░░░░░░ not the person on ░░░░░░░░ it s the team ░░░░░░░░ all played for It ░░░░░░░░ CNN as an organization ░░░░░░░░ news operation so much ░░░░░░░░ than any single person ░░░░░░░░ the news goes outn ░░░░░░░░ now without the top ░░░░░░░░ BOLDUAN Keep reporting the ░░░░░░░░ That s what he ░░░░░░░░ say Brian thank you ░░░░░░░░ much.”