David Zaslav (born January 15, 1960) is an American media executive who is the current
CEO and president of
Warner Bros. Discovery.[1]
After becoming CEO and president of
Discovery, Inc. in 2006, Zaslav oversaw changes in its channels, which largely shifted from education-oriented programming to
reality television.[2] In April 2022, Zaslav oversaw the merger of Discovery and
WarnerMedia into Warner Bros. Discovery, and later the re-naming of the streaming service HBO Max into
Max.[3] He has been strongly criticized for his business decisions, including removing titles from the company's streaming platforms to avoid paying
residuals and canceling nearly finished projects in order to claim tax
write-offs.[4]
Zaslav joined
NBC in 1989.[14] As president of Cable and Domestic TV and New Media Distribution, he oversaw content distribution to all forms of TV, negotiated for cable and satellite carriage of
NBCUniversal networks and forged media partnerships.[15][16]
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.[32][33] 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.[34][35][36]
As head of Warner Bros. Discovery, Zaslav appointed
Chris Licht as CEO of CNN in 2022 and received criticism for not interviewing internal candidates.[42] With Zaslav's support, Licht implemented changes at CNN that sought to make the channel more palatable to American conservatives.[43] Zaslav fired Licht in June 2023.[44]
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.[46] According to the
WGA and
SAG-AFTRA, the demands of their workers would cost WBD an estimated $47 million.[47] In September 2023, WBD estimated that the strike caused losses of $300 million-$500 million for the company.[48]
In December 2023, Zaslav and
Bob Bakish discussed the possibility of Warner Bros. Discovery merging with
Paramount Global.[49] TD Cowen analyst, Doug Creutz, told
The Hollywood Reporter: “We have a very hard time believing the current FTC/DOJ, which has been very aggressive in combating industry consolidation, would give this deal a pass.”[50] However, in February 2024, the discussion was abandoned.
In February 2024, a group of US congressmen sent a letter to the 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."[51]
Boards and other activities
Zaslav serves on the boards of
Sirius XM, The Cable Center, Center for Communication, Grupo Televisa, Partnership for New York City,
Syracuse University and USC Shoah Foundation.[52] He also is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Paley Center for Media and the
Mt. Sinai Medical Center.[53] He is chair of the Auschwitz: The Past Is Present Committee which promotes awareness of the Holocaust.[10][5][54] 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.[55]
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.[56]
In 2017, Zaslav was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame.[57]
In 2022, he was named one of
Time's 100 Most Influential People.[58]
Personal life
Zaslav lives in
New York City with his wife Pam and their three children.[52] His daughter, Ali, is a congressional producer with CNN.[59]
^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.
^Ahrens, Frank (November 17, 2006).
"Discovery Appoints New Chief". The Washington Post.
Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
^Stelter, Brian (October 10, 2010).
"A Children's Channel Retools". The New York Times.
Archived from the original on November 5, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
^"Leadership". Discovery, Inc. Archived from
the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
^"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.