Feist will succeed Rob Kennedy and Susan Swain, who have been in the role as co-CEOs since 2012. Founding CEO Brian Lamb remains on the board of directors.Feist has served as Washington bureau chief and senior vice president at CNN since 2011. He oversees newsgathering operations and production, as well as coverage of major political events. He joined the network in 1990, as a freelance producer in the London bureau, and later moved to Atlanta and then to Washington, D.C. in 1992. He became political director and vice president of Washington programming, and has coordinated daily political coverage and election night production since 2006. He also was the founding executive producer of The Situation Room.In a statement, Feist said, “Our democracy needs C-SPAN now more than ever. I look forward to working with C-SPAN’s extraordinary and dedicated team to expand the network’s reach and meet new audiences where they are.” He added, “C-SPAN is an American treasure and I could not be more excited to lead this essential institution.”CNN has not named a successor. CEO Mark Thompson wrote a memo to employees this morning announcing Feist’s departure, calling him “one of the best-connected journalists in Washington with important and valuable relationships across the political spectrum.”“In my short time at CNN, I have come to know and appreciate Sam’s passion for CNN, for our people, and for political journalism, and will miss his good counsel,” Thompson wrote.C-SPAN was founded by the cable industry in 1979 to offer public service coverage of Congress, the White House and other major government and political events. It’s been funded through the cable industry, not through public tax dollars. But funding has become an issue as linear cable distribution declines, and one of the priorities of the search committee was to find a candidate who would explore new distribution opportunities.In a statement, Kennedy and Swain said, “Out of a small group of excellent finalists, Sam Feist stood out for his deep respect for C-SPAN, his leadership skills, his knowledge of Washington, and his digital transformation bona fides. We are confident that we are leaving C-SPAN in good hands.”Feist will remain at CNN through the end of June. Kennedy will step down on May 17, and Swain will continue in that role until Feist takes over.
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