CBS' Chris Licht expected to be named as new CNN chief

Chris Licht, who currently runs Stephen Colbert's late-night show at CBS but has a news background, is expected to be named the new president of CNN

NEW YORK -- CBS executive Chris Licht, who is currently running Stephen Colbert's late-night show after helping to build two news programs, is expected to become the new president of CNN replacing Jeff Zucker.

Licht will be named as soon as next week to the job, according to an executive familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak on personnel. The selection was first reported Saturday by the website Puck. He would not be able to take over until the deal giving CNN new corporate ownership gets federal approval, expected early this spring.

The new chief is executive vice president of special programming at CBS. Before taking over as executive producer at Colbert's “Late Show" in 2016, guiding it to the top of the ratings, Licht ran “CBS This Morning,” the network's morning news show.

Before joining CBS in 2012, he was the top behind-the-scenes executive at MSNBC's “Morning Joe" in its formative years.