Inside shock shutdown of CNN+ only weeks after launch as future of stars Chris Wallace and Alison Roman remains unclear

CNN+ has announced it will shut down at the end of the month, just weeks after launching, in a shock move that has rattled the media industry.

The futures of the network’s stars such as anchor Chris Wallace and food writer Alison Roman remain unclear, as the company’s bosses deal with the fallout of the streaming service that had been hyped up for months.

AP

CNN+ will shut down at the end of April, just weeks after launching[/caption]

CNN+

The project had enlisted TV news legend Chris Wallace[/caption]

Getty

Food writer Alison Roman was also among the talent enlisted for CNN+[/caption]

The decision was announced on Thursday after the network spent hundreds of millions on the project that had enlisted various media heavyweights’ including Wallace, Kasie Hunt and food writer Roman.

According to various reports, the CNN+ launch was a point of contention between old and new leadership.

As reported by Variety, David Zaslav, the new CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, was “annoyed” by the former CEO of WarnerMedia Jason Kilar’s decision to launch the service weeks before the merger was to take place.

However, Zaslav could not communicate with the WarnerMedia management because of the legal boundaries of the merger process, the outlet claimed.

CNN’s Brian Stelter confirmed there was tension between former and new leadership, writing: “The prior management team’s vision for CNN+ runs counter to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s plan to house all of the company’s brands under one streaming service.”

CNN+ staffers were notified of the network’s decision on Thursday afternoon by CNN Worldwide Chairman and CEO Chris Licht, who called the situation “uniquely s****y,” according to CNN.

Hundreds of employees may lose their jobs, but Licht said in an internal memo that all CNN+ staffers will continue to receive pay and benefits for 90 days to explore other opportunities at the company.

Those who aren’t placed elsewhere in the company will receive at least six months of severance, Licht said.

Licht said in a statement that the company plans to combine elements of CNN with the expected merger of HBO Max and Discovery+,

“We have therefore made the decision to cease operations of CNN+ and focus our investment on CNN’s core news-gathering operations and in further building CNN Digital,” he said.

Licht reportedly said the service’s shutdown was due to incompatibility with the company’s plans, telling staffers: “It is not your fault that you had the rug pulled out from underneath you.”

Andrew Morse, executive vice president of CNN+ and CNN’s digital businesses, will leave CNN after a transition period.

Whether the CNN+ stars such as Wallace and Hunt will remain with CNN is unclear, but Variety reports that some talent deals were not contingent on working with CNN+.

The US Sun has reached out to CNN for comment.

CNN+

According to various reports, the CNN+ launch was a point of contention between old and new leadership[/caption]