Brian Stelter is leaving CNN as his news programmer Reliable Sources stands cancelled after its final episode on August 21. The show began in 1993 and Stelter joined CNN in 2013. This is the latest in the shakeups to hit the news channel since parent company Warner Bros merged with Discovery.

CEO David Zaslav has made a slew of changes to cut costs, which has not only impacted CNN but also other franchises like the DCEU where Batgirl has been shelved despite the movie being completed. 

Here’s a list of changes in CNN since the WarnerBros Discovery merger. 

CNN+ cancellation 

The nascent streaming service was cancelled just two weeks after the merger. Vowing not to “overspend”, Zaslav explained to investors “We will clearly take swift and decisive actions on certain items, as you saw on CNN+ last week”, adding, “Everything should be monetized”. He continued that “each and every decision will be made through the lens of analyzing asset value, maximizing shareholder value, not just subs”, New York Post reported. 

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Meanwhile, Discovery’s streaming head JB Perrette said in a statement, “We have very exciting opportunities ahead in the streaming space, and CNN, one of the world’s premier reputational assets, will play an important role there.” 

At the time, Stelter had said, “This CNN+ service was doomed because of the timing of a merger and clashing streaming strategies. The new owner, Warner Brothers Discovery has big plans to combine multiple streaming platforms to make one big challenger for Netflix.”

Jeffrey Toobin departure

CNN’s chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin announced his departure after a 20-year-rin on the network. While Toobin didn’t note the merger as an impact on his decision, the no holds barred commentator has been in hot soup since he accidentally exposed himself to colleagues in a Zoom call in 2020. 

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The Warner Bros and Discovery have long been in talks and even before it took place CNN chief Jeff Zucker resigned though the news channel noted that sources close to the matter maintain Zucker believed he’d be terminated if he didn’t resign. 

With Zucker and Stelter’s departures, CNN has lost two prominent voices against conservatives in the US.