Now it is Kilar who may have influence on Zucker’s future steps.
After losing the NBCU job once Comcast took control of that company, Zucker has blazed a new path for himself as president of WarnerMedia’s CNN. Since taking the reins of the venerable cable-news outlet in 2013, Zucker has given the once-vanilla dispenser of breaking news an entirely new image and mission. Larry King, who held forth at 9 p.m. on CNN for a quarter of a century with genial celebrity interviews, would never fit in the network’s modern lineup, where that time slot is reserved for the pugnacious Chris Cuomo, CNN’s most-watched personality. CNN has quickly become something that doesn’t just report, but holds people accountable. Some might even say it crusades. In seven years, Zucker has become as critical an element of CNN’s DNA as Ted Turner, the guy who built the thing in the first place.