Bloomberg News
Pedestrians pass in front of CNN signage displayed at the network's headquarters building in Atlanta.
As AT&T Inc. shuffles the executive ranks within its newly acquired WarnerMedia entertainment empire, CNN is in for a different kind of makeover.
John Stankey, the AT&T executive at the helm of WarnerMedia, is planning to revamp the cable news network’s digital operation, which he believes isn’t reaching its potential and requires more investment in product development and data analytics, according to people familiar with the situation.
Stankey has been steering a reorganization of WarnerMedia that resulted on Feb. 28 in the resignations of Richard Plepler, HBO’s chief executive, and David Levy, the president of Turner, the parent of cable channels CNN, TNT, TBS and the Cartoon Network. The moves came days after AT&T T, -0.96% cleared the last legal hurdle in its $80 billion-plus acquisition of the WarnerMedia businesses.
Jeff Zucker, the president of CNN Worldwide whose contract runs through 2020, is expected to continue to report to Stankey after AT&T’s restructuring is completed, the people said. He also is likely to oversee Turner Sports, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
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