Mark Thompson: CNN appoints former BBC director general as chief executive

Ex-BBC and New York Times boss Sir Mark Thompson has been appointed to lead CNN following a series of crises and falling ratings at the US news network.

Sir Mark replaces Chris Licht, who struggled to stabilise CNN in his 13 months as chairman and CEO.

The network has also been through the firings of star anchors Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon, and the closure of streaming service CNN+ after just one month.

Sir Mark must also guide CNN during the 2024 US presidential election.

That challenge will coincide with coverage of criminal charges against Donald Trump.