CNN
| CNN | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Type: | News Media |
| Top official: | Mark Thompson, chairman and CEO |
| Founder(s): | Ted Turner |
| Year founded: | 1980 |
| Website: | Official website |
CNN, the common initialism for Cable News Network, is a news media outlet founded by Ted Turner in 1980. CNN consists of the cable news network CNN and its international affiliates as well as CNN.com. CNN is a division of Turner Broadcasting System Inc., which, in turn, is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.
As of November 2025, the network said CNN reaches approximately 80 million households in the U.S. and 321 million households worldwide.[1]
Background
CNN first launched on June 1, 1980, as the first 24-hour news cable satellite channel. Founded by Ted Turner, the network began with 1.7 million subscribers, but viewership had increased to 33 million by 1983.[2]
In 1995, Time Warner announced it would buy the remaining 82% of Turner Broadcasting that it did not own, which included CNN.[3]
Leadership
As of November 2025, Mark Thompson is the chairman and CEO of CNN.[4]
Below is the network's executive leadership as of November 2025:[5]
- Adam Cohn, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
- Johnita P. Due, Vice President of Integrity and Inclusion
- Amy Entelis, Executive Vice President for Talent, CNN Originals and Creative Development
- Alex MacCallum, Executive Vice President, Digital Products and Services, CNN Worldwide
- Mike McCarthy, Managing Editor, CNN Worldwide
- Virginia Moseley, Executive Editor
- Phil Nelson, Executive Vice President, CNN International Commercial
- Eric Sherling, Executive Vice President, U.S. Programming
- David Vigilante, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for CNN and Warner Bros. Discovery Sports
- Alaka Williams, Senior Vice President, People & Culture CNN & WBD US Networks
Work and activities
As of November 2025, the network said CNN reaches approximately 80 million households in the U.S. and 321 million households worldwide.[1] Its branded networks and services “are available to more than 2 billion people in more than 200 countries and territories,” while CNN Digital is “routinely registering more than 150 million unique visitors globally each month.”[1] In the first quarter of 2025, the network was one of the five most-watched cable networks.[6]
CNN has news bureaus in the United States in Atlanta, New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.[1] The network employs around 3,500 people worldwide.[7]
In addition to its offerings on CNN and CNN International, the company also has a Spanish-language network, CNN en Espanol, and a streaming service, CNN All Access.[1][8]
As of November 2025, CNN employed over 100 reporters on its politics team.[9]
2024 presidential debates
On June 27, 2024, the network hosted a presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump that was moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.[10] Tapper and Bash also moderated the fifth Republican primary debate five days before the Iowa Republican caucus.
2020 Democratic primary debates
CNN co-hosted the second, seventh and ninth Democratic primary debates. Tapper, Bash, Don Lemon, Wolf Blitzer, and Abby Phillip each moderated at least one of the debates.
2015-16 presidential debates
In 2016, Anderson Cooper of CNN co-moderated a debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton. The network co-hosted four debates during the 2016 Republican primaries and three debates during the 2016 Democratic primaries.[11]
Notable endorsements
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Finances
As of 2023, CNN's net worth was $2.3 billion, and the network had an annual revenue of $1.8 billion.[12]
See also
- What is an influencer?
- Jake Tapper
- Presidential debates (2015-2016)
- CNN Republican debate (September 16, 2015)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 CNN Press Room, "CNN Fact Sheet," accessed November 14, 2025
- ↑ Library of Congress, "CNN Launched 6/1/1980," March, 2009
- ↑ The New York Times, "TURNER TO MERGE INTO TIME WARNER; A $7.5 BILLION DEAL," September 23, 1995
- ↑ CNN, "Mark Thompson - Chairman and CEO," accessed November 14, 2025
- ↑ CNN, "Leadership," accessed November 14, 2022
- ↑ CNN Press Room, "CNN Ranks as Top 5 Most-Watched Network in All of Cable in March and Q1," April 2, 2025
- ↑ CNBC, "CNN announces about 200 layoffs as it attempts to modernize business," January 22, 2025
- ↑ CNN, "CNN has a new way to watch — here’s what you need to know," October 28, 2025
- ↑ CNN, "Our Politics Team," accessed November 14, 2025
- ↑ CNN Press Room, "CNN TO HOST 2024 ELECTION PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE BETWEEN PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP ON JUNE 27," May 15, 2024
- ↑ CNN, "Presidential Debates Fast Facts," accessed November 14
- ↑ Yahoo Finance, "CNN’s Net Worth Sliced in Half to $2.3 Billion Over 2 Years,' January 17, 2025
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