Christopher Licht is an award-winning producer, journalist and author. He has served as Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide and Showrunner/ Executive Producer of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”, “CBS This Morning”, and MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” Licht brings a unique perspective to the world of news and entertainment, with grave concerns about the ever-broadening lack of trust in media by the America public. A breakdown in civil discourse, rising political polarization and widespread distrust of media are threatening the fabric of a stable society. Licht has keen insight into how media must adapt to regain trust and restore faith in journalism. He continues to work with a range of startups in the world of new media and content creation.
Licht began his career at KNBC in Los Angeles before helping lead the transition of KNTV in the San Francisco Bay Area to an NBC owned and operated station. Licht served as executive producer of MSNBC’s “Scarborough Country“ and then went on to help create and launch the iconic “Morning Joe” program. At CBS, Licht created “CBS This Morning”, which achieved unprecedented ratings and cultural success for the network. He also served as CBS’s executive vice president of special programming.
Licht experienced a life-affirming event in April 2010 when he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in Washington, D.C. He wrote a book about the resulting experience, What I Learned When I Almost Died: How a Maniac TV Producer Put Down His BlackBerry and Started to Live His Life.
Licht is a multiple Emmy, Peabody and DuPont award-winner. He is a member of the Robin Hood Leadership Council. Licht graduated from Syracuse University’s S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with a degree in broadcast journalism and political science. He serves as a member of the Newhouse Advisory Board.
