Well....Would you Look at That!
/Back on February 25th, FTVLive wrote, Sources tell FTVLive that CNN boss Jeff Zucker and Greg D’Alba president, CNN News Networks Turner Digital Ad Sales and Marketing are not seeing eye to eye.
FTVLive added word is that Zucker does not believe that D'Alba is on board with CNN's new plan to move away from covering news.
D'Alba is well liked both inside and outside at CNN, but sources say Zucker has had some quiet talks about replacing the top sales guy.
This all comes as the up fronts are just around the corner and CNN doesn't have winning successful show to sell.
The headline of that story we wrote was "COULD CNN'S TOP SALES GUY BE OUT?"
Now Page Six has written that Turner Broadcasting/CNN: Greg D’Alba, head of CNN ad sales, is leaving the company after 28 years.
“He can’t take it anymore,” a source close to D’Alba Page Six. “He can’t stand all the infighting and the politics.”
After Jeff Zucker became president of CNN Worldwide last year, Turner chairman/CEO Phil Kent was replaced by John Martin. One of Kent’s last acts was to promote David Levy to president of Turner Broadcasting System.
And it seems some of the execs don’t like each other.
“Greg is an incredibly well-respected guy and has had great success over the years, but it’s been very hard since Zucker came,” said a source.
D’Alba and his team had trouble selling ads as CNN’s ratings plunged to a 20-year low earlier this year.
And Zucker, the former head of NBC, hasn’t been able to stem the slide with his conversion of CNN from straight news to documentaries and infotainment.
D’Alba is leaving just before the crucial spring “upfronts,” when broadcasters showcase their upcoming schedules for advertisers.
Though D’Alba hasn’t decided what he’ll do next, it is expected he’ll be barraged with offers from other media companies.
D’Alba had no comment. CNN didn’t respond.
It looks like FTVLive was WAAAAAAAYYYYY out in front once again.