“The CNN shitstorm is here,” Free Beacon Man of the Year Keith Olbermann announced on Sept. 15.
And yes, 2022 was the year of the CNN shitstorm. CNN+ was tossed onto the ash heap of history just 23 days—and $300 million—after its launch. RIP, “the most important launch for CNN since Ted Turner launched the network in June of 1980.” RIP, “the start of a new era.”
CNN president Chris Licht walked into the Time Warner building with his own vision for polishing this turd—one that didn’t include the chubby public relations guru Brian Stelter, or the public masturbator Jeffrey Toobin. RIP, Jeff Zucker’s refuge for sneering, arrogant, washed-up fonts of conventional wisdom. Oh, and RIP ex-CNN president Jeff Zucker.
Welcome to Licht’s world, where left-wing hacks get the ax and Republicans get the apology tour.
Have we mentioned he’s also a keen judge of talent? Licht immediately recognized the contributions of former Free Beacon Man of the Year turned parental-rights activist Jake Tapper, promoting him to primetime. (Hey, it’s not Licht’s fault nobody wanted to watch!) And Licht isn’t just handing out pink slips, he’s creating jobs, too: The network announced in October that former Free Beacon gun reporter Stephen Gutowski would join CNN as an analyst.
This is a man with taste, judgment, and good instincts. For Keith Olbermann, that may make him a “TV fascist.” For us, that makes Chris Licht a 2022 Washington Free Beacon Man of the Year. Congratulations!
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