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David Zaslav

David Zaslav
Born (1960-01-15) January 15, 1960 (age 64)
New York City, U.S.
EducationBinghamton University (BS)
Boston University (JD)
OccupationMedia executive
TitleCEO and president of Warner Bros. Discovery
SpousePam Zaslav
Children3

David Zaslav (born January 15, 1960) is an American media executive who is the current CEO and president of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).[1] Zaslav became CEO and president of Discovery, Inc. in 2006, and focused on the company’s core networks, programming, and expanding its reach into Digital media. Since the merger, Zaslav's new focus for the WBD has been to become more of a "content company" versus "just a cable company".[2] In 2018, Zaslav oversaw Discovery’s acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive, which owned networks such as Food Network, HGTV, and DIY Network, for $14.6 billion. The combined company was renamed Discovery, Inc. Prior to Discovery, Zaslav worked at NBCUniversal where he helped develop and launch the cable channels CNBC and MSNBC.[3]

In April 2022, Zaslav oversaw the merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia into Warner Bros. Discovery, which included Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group and Warner Bros. Television Group, HBO, HBO Max, Discovery+, CNN, TNT Sports, HGTV, Food Network, and OWN.[4][5]

Early life

[edit]

David Zaslav was born into a Jewish family[6][7] in New York City's Brooklyn borough[8] on January 15, 1960.[9] His family was part of the diaspora from Poland and Ukraine.[10][11] At the age of eight, he moved with his family to Ramapo, New York, where he graduated from Ramapo High School.[12][13] He earned a B.S. from Binghamton University, then graduated with honors from the Boston University School of Law with a J.D. in 1985. He started his career as an attorney with LeBoeuf, Lamb, Lieby and MacRae in New York.[14]

Career

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NBCUniversal

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Zaslav joined NBC in 1989.[15] As president of Cable and Domestic TV and New Media Distribution, he helped develop and launch CNBC and MSNBC,[16] oversaw content distribution to all forms of TV, negotiated for cable and satellite carriage of NBCUniversal networks and forged media partnerships.[17][18]

His responsibilities extended to Bravo, CNBC World, SCI FI, ShopNBC, Sleuth, Telemundo, Telemundo Puerto Rico, mun2, Trio, Universal HD, USA Network, NBC Weather Plus and the Olympics on cable.

Zaslav also oversaw NBCUniversal's interests in A&E, The History Channel, The Biography Channel, National Geographic International, the Sundance Channel and TiVo.[19][20]

Discovery, Inc.

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Zaslav became CEO of Discovery Communications in November 16, 2006, succeeding Judith McHale.[21] Zaslav instigated a shift in strategy by the company, aiming to see itself as a "content company" rather than a "cable company" by bolstering its main networks (such as its namesake Discovery Channel) as multi-platform brands.[22] As CEO, Zaslav oversaw the development and launch of new networks such as Planet Green (later rebranded as Destination America),[23] The Hub,[24][25] Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN),[26] Velocity (later rebranded as MotorTrend),[27][28] and Investigation Discovery,[29] as well as the company's 2018 acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive,[30] expansion of its digital education operations,[31] and launch of streaming service discovery+.[32]

Under his leadership, Discovery began trading as a public company in 2008, became a Fortune 500 company in 2014 and acquired Scripps Networks Interactive in 2018, becoming Discovery, Inc.[33]

Warner Bros. Discovery

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In May 2021, it was announced that Zaslav would serve as CEO of a proposed merger of Discovery with a spin-out of AT&T's WarnerMedia, succeeding Jason Kilar.[34][2] The $43 billion deal was closed on April 8, 2022.[35] Zaslav's executive compensation package includes an annual salary of $3 million with an annual $22 million bonus. In his contract extension, Zaslav also received stock options valued at $190 million.[36][37][38] In 2023, Zaslav's total compensation from Warner Bros. Discovery was $49.7 million, representing a CEO-to-median worker pay ratio of 290-to-1.[39]

Under Zaslav’s leadership, Warner Bros. Discovery launched Max, a combined streaming offering that brought together the libraries of HBO Max and Discovery+.[40] The service debuted in the US on March 23, 2023, in Latin America and the Caribbean on February 27, 2024, and in parts of EMEA on May 21, 2024, with additional international markets to follow.[41][42]

Since August 2022, Zaslav has received criticism from audiences for his decision to cancel projects. Some of those projects were "practically finished" or in the late stages of post-production, including Batgirl, Scoob! Holiday Haunt and Coyote vs. Acme.[43] Zaslav also received backlash for the removal of many of Warner Bros' animated programs from streaming platforms and pulling some of the service's content in general, including Final Space (which was written-off for taxes), Tig n' Seek, Elliott from Earth, Infinity Train, Summer Camp Island, The Fungies!, Close Enough, The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo and nearly 200 episodes of Sesame Street, among others, a decision Infinity Train creator Owen Dennis remarked rendered many of the programs effectively as "lost media".[44][45][46]

As head of Warner Bros. Discovery, Zaslav appointed Chris Licht as CEO of CNN in 2022. With Zaslav's support, Licht implemented changes at CNN that sought to shift to a "journalism first" focus.[47] In August 2023, Zaslav appointed Mark Thompson, former president and CEO of The New York Times and former Director General at the BBC, as the new CNN chief.[48]

During the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, David Zaslav said that Warner Bros. Discovery and other Hollywood studios were "not glad" that the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes had occurred and that the company was working to resolve the strike and compensate writers and actors fairly.[49] According to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, the demands of their workers would cost WBD an estimated $47 million.[50] In September 2023, WBD estimated that the strike caused losses of $300 million–$500 million for the company.[51]

In February 2024, a group of US congressmen sent a letter to Zaslav criticizing World's Ultimate Frontier, a joint production between Discovery and Chinese state media outlet China Global Television Network (CGTN), for "whitewashing genocide" of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. They called on Discovery to "suspend this partnership with CGTN immediately and to abstain from entering into any similar partnership with any other agent of CCP influence."[52]

David Zaslav partnered with Disney CEO, Bob Iger, and Fox CEO, Lachlan Murdoch, in a joint venture to create a sports streaming service that will be run by former Apple executive, Pete Distad.[53] The service is expected to launch in the fall of 2024.[54]

Boards and other activities

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Zaslav serves on the boards of Sirius XM, American Cinematheque, Grupo Televisa, and Syracuse University.[55] He also is a member of the board of trustees for the Paley Center for Media. Syracuse University and is on the Board of Overseers for NYU Langone Health.[56][11][6][57] [58] He is a member of the Executive Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts[59] and Sciences and is also a member of the Television Academy.[60]

In 2012, he received the Steven J. Ross Humanitarian Award from the United Jewish Appeal Federation (UJA) of New York which honors people of vision, energy and sustained achievement in the entertainment, media and communications industries.[61]

In 2014, Zaslav was awarded the Fred Dressler Leadership Award by Syracuse University's S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.[55][14]

David Zaslav was awarded the Susan Newhouse & SI Newhouse Award of Hope for his support of the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) in September 2016.[62]

In 2017, Zaslav was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame and is a member of the Cable TV Pioneers Class of 2018.[63]

In 2022, he was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People.[64]

Personal life

[edit]

Zaslav lives in New York City with his wife Pam and their three children.[55] His daughter, Ali, is a congressional producer with CNN.[65]

During the 2020 election cycle, Zaslav donated over $240,000 to Democratic politicians and PACs,[66] as well as $5,600 to Republican senator Jim Risch.[67]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Kovach, Steve & Meredith, Sam (May 17, 2021). "AT&T announces $43 billion deal to merge WarnerMedia with Discovery". CNBC. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Hayes, Dade (May 17, 2021). "David Zaslav And John Stankey Outline Plans For Merging Discovery And WarnerMedia, Addressing Future Of Jason Kilar, CNN, Streaming". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  3. ^ Barlow, Rich (May 21, 2023). "Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav Tells BU Graduates to Pursue Their Passion, amidst Protests over Hollywood Writers Strike". bu.edu.
  4. ^ Mahler, Jonathan; Stewart, James B.; Mullin, Benjamin (November 15, 2023). "How David Zaslav Blew Up Hollywood". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  5. ^ Stelter, Brian (April 8, 2022). "Discovery takes control of HBO, CNN, and Warner Bros., creating new media giant | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Steven Spielberg And David Zaslav Commemorate Auschwitz Liberation 70th Anniversary". Jewish Business News. January 25, 2015. Archived from the original on August 5, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  7. ^ Ghermezian, Shiryn (January 25, 2015). "Hollywood Heavyweights to Join Spielberg at Auschwitz Commemoration Ceremony in Poland". Algemeiner Journal. Archived from the original on August 13, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2016. When I was a kid I learned in temple the mantra of 'Never again.' But there has been genocide since the Holocaust... There is persecution because of religion and ethnicity. This is a moment to realize that we as a global society have to stand together.
  8. ^ "David Zaslav: Oral and Video Collection Interview". Syndeo Institute at The Cable Center. August 5, 2004. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  9. ^ Zaslav, David. "Discovery Communications 2011 Proxy Filing". Securities and Exchange Commission. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  10. ^ "US media mogul tells i24NEWS: Israel recalls what it takes to 'fight for democracy'". i24NEWS. September 15, 2019. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  11. ^ a b Littleton, Cynthia (January 24, 2015). "Industry Heavyweights Support Auschwitz 70th Anniversary Commemoration". Variety. Archived from the original on July 18, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2017. His grandparents and other extended family were fortunate to have fled their homeland before the Nazi extermination campaign began in the early 1940s.
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  31. ^ Barnes, Brooks; Chozick, Amy (August 20, 2012). "Media Companies, Seeing Profit Slip, Push Into Education". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
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  37. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (May 20, 2021). "Discovery Hands CEO David Zaslav Stock Options Valued At $190M In Contract Extension; Sets Base Salary At $3M, Target Bonus At $20M – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  38. ^ "Compensation Information for David M. Zaslav, President and Chief Executive Officer of DISCOVERY INC". Salary.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
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  41. ^ Fuente, Anna Marie de la (February 19, 2024). "Max Goes Global in Latin America, Launches Feb. 27 (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
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  44. ^ Hughes, William (August 22, 2022). "HBO Max is treating animation fans and creators like hot, burning garbage". The AV Club. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
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  47. ^ Steinberg, Brian (June 6, 2023). "David Zaslav Likes to Gut Cable Networks. CNN Isn't Easily Remodeled". Variety. Archived from the original on June 24, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  48. ^ Rizzo, Lillian (August 30, 2023). "Mark Thompson steps in as next CNN chief". CNBC. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  49. ^ Manfredi, Lucas (May 5, 2023). "David Zaslav Says Studios Don't See Writers' Strike as Cost-Saving Opportunity: 'We Are Not Glad' (Video)". TheWrap. The Wrap News Inc. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023. We think streaming is going to be very profitable for us. We are unique. We have a lot of scale. We have the largest TV in motion picture library, and we have HBO some of the greatest creatives and we have all of our Discovery content
  50. ^ Maddaus, Gene (May 16, 2023). "WGA Argues Strike Will Cost Studios More Than Settlement". Variety. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  51. ^ Szalai, Georg (September 5, 2023). "Warner Bros. Discovery Says Ongoing Strikes Will Mean $300M-$500M Hit to 2023 Earnings". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
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  56. ^ "Seven New Members Elected to University's Board of Trustees". SU News. May 24, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  57. ^ "Never Forget: Zaslav, Spielberg Help Commemorate Auschwitz's Liberation". CableFax. January 26, 2015. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2016. Driving awareness and remembrance of the Holocaust for future generations is critical, especially as we lose more survivors and witnesses with each passing day.
  58. ^ "Trustees & Overseers". nyulangone.org. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
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  66. ^ Legg, Heidi (September 8, 2021). "Media moguls and political donations: We tracked where news executives give their money". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  67. ^ "David Zaslav Political Campaign Contributions 2020 Election Cycle". CampaignMoney. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.