Bon Appétit’s new EIC, Texas Tribune layoffs, CNN’s new leader: TBN Ticker for Sept. 1

This week’s ticker features exciting top appointments, including Jamila Robinson being named editor-in-chief of Condé Nast’s food magazine Bon Appétit. On the other side, CNN has named Mark Thompson as its leader. With these exciting appointments comes bad news as The Texas Tribune lays off its staff for the first time in history. We also have a BONUS in today’s ticker!

Thompson secures chief position at CNN… Mark Thompson, former chief executive of The New York Times and director-general of the BBC, has been appointed CEO, chairman and editor-in-chief of CNN. He begins on October 9. “The world needs accurate trustworthy news now more than ever and we’ve never had more ways of meeting that need at home and abroad,” Thompson said. “Where others see disruption, I see opportunity. I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and get down to work with my new colleagues to build a successful future for CNN.” Thompson joins CNN in what you can call “turbulent times” for the network, which he also acknowledged. “We face pressure from every direction – structural, political, cultural, you name it. … There’s no magic wand that I or anyone else can wield to make this disruption go away,” he said. “But what I can say is that where others see threat, I see opportunity – especially given CNN’s great brand and the strength of its journalism.” Read more here.

Bon Appétit’s new EIC… Jamila Robinson, assistant managing editor for food and culture at The Philadelphia Inquirer, will leave to join food magazine Bon Appétit as editor-in-chief. She will begin on Sept. 18. “My philosophy is not only to tell people where to eat, but also to show why restaurants matter and why Philadelphia is a world-class food city,” Robinson said. “That’s why I’m excited about this new role at Bon Appétit. The idea that food culture is for everyone becomes more expansive.” Robinson joined the Inquirer in 2020 as a food editor. Previously, she served as director of features content and strategy, New Jersey, at Gannett | USA Today Network, where she joined in December 2015. She has also worked at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Washington Post and the Detroit Free Press. She also served as chair of the James Beard Foundation Journalism Committee. Robinson has a B.A. in journalism from Wayne State University in Michigan.

Texas Tribune’s historical layoffs…Nonprofit news outlet The Texas Tribune has axed staff members for the first time in its history. The 11 cuts will encompass the newsroom, engineering, design and operations department, and includes two staffers who have been with the Tribune since it launched in 2009. “It’s easy to forget what a gamble The Texas Tribune’s model was when it launched. We launched a new nonprofit newsroom in an era of serious headwinds for journalism,” CEO Sonal Shah said. “The journalism done by those departing has been some of the best our newsroom and our industry has seen — conversation-changing, light-shining and award-winning. Their absence will be felt in our newsroom and on our site.” The entire copy desk was also eliminated. The move comes as the Austin-based independent paper struggles with revenues.

The Sun appoints Macaskill homepage editor… Jamie Macaskill has joined The Sun as a homepage editor. Recently he served as an editor at Reach plc, which he joined in May 2017. Previously, Macaskill worked as an assistant editor and deputy editor at the Hull Daily Mail, where he worked for more than six years. He served as bureau chief of Mail on Sunday and was at the Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd. for more than a decade. You can congratulate Macaskill on X/Twitter.

Leonard departs Sky News… Kimberley Leonard, a presenter at Sky News has left after more than seven years. In this role, she presented live rolling news and conducted on-air interviews. Leonard was a producer at Al Jazeera Media Group and worked as an anchor and producer at Dubai Media Incorporated, and a news anchor at Arabian Radio Network. She began her career as an intern at Al Jazeera English. Leonard has a B.A. in media and film from the University of Cape Town in South Africa and an M.A. in international journalism-broadcast from the University of Westminster. Reach out to Leonard via X/Twitter or LinkedIn.

CW Network extends partnership with Hearst… The CW Network and Hearst Television have extended their network affiliation agreement. Under the expanded contract, Hearst will continue to program CW’s entertainment and sports programming in six markets across the States. Starting Sept. 1, Hearst will also launch a new CW affiliate in Sacramento, Calif. on its TV station KQCA-TV Ch. 58. “Hearst has been an important partner for The CW throughout the years and we are extremely pleased to be launching a new CW affiliate in Sacramento,” Dennis Miller, president of The CW Network said. “KQCA-TV is already home to LIV Golf in Sacramento, and this agreement will ensure that viewers there won’t miss a moment of our other highly-rated sports and entertainment programming, including ACC college football and basketball, and INSIDE THE NFL, both of which premiere this fall.”

R.I. TV station sports director departs… Morey Hershgordon, a sports director at WPRI-TV Ch. 12, a CBS and MyNetworkTV affiliate in Providence, R.I., is set to leave the station Sept. 6. He wrote on X/Twitter, “It has been an absolute pleasure for 5+ years serving the wonderful people of Southern New England and doing it alongside some of the most talented people in TV.” He has been with the TV station for more than five years, previously serving as a sports reporter and weekend sports anchor. He also worked as a sports reporter and anchor at WAOW-TV Ch. 9, an ABC station in Wausau, Wis. Hershgordon has a B.A. in broadcast journalism from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. Reach out to Hershgordon via X/Twitter or LinkedIn.

D.C.’s CBS station names Hernandez as sports anchor… CBS station WUSA-TV Ch. 9 in Washington, D.C. has tapped Chick Hernandez to serve as a sports anchor. He joins from SiriusXM. Hernandez freelanced for five years and worked at NBC Sports Washington for more than 17 years as a sports anchor. He was also a sports anchor and reporter at Washington’s Fox outlet WTTG-TV Ch. 5, and served as a sports director at WRDW-TV Ch. 12, a CBS and MyNetworkTV affiliate in Augusta, Ga. Be sure to congratulate Hernandez on X/Twitter.

Daily Beast senior editor departs… Neel Patel, senior editor of science and innovation has left The Daily Beast after two years. “It’s been almost two years since I started working here to lead the innovation section and build it nearly from scratch,” he wrote on X/Twitter. “Words can barely describe how proud I am what we were able to do, and how bittersweet this is.” Previously, Patel worked as a space reporter at MIT Technology Review and freelanced as a science and tech journalist. He held the posts of staff writer and associate editor at Inverse.com. He was an editorial fellow at Wired and interned at Popular Science. Patel has a B.S. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a M.A. in journalism from New York University. Reach out to Patel via X/Twitter or LinkedIn.

Brown takes on new role at The Guardian… The Guardian Australia has promoted Aston Brown to the post of rural and regional reporter from his recent post of casual video producer. Brown joined in May 2023. Before that, he was a video journalist at AFP. Brown graduated from the University of Technology Sydney. You can congratulate Brown on X/Twitter.

Spectrum News has a new role for Espinoza… Spectrum News in Southern California has tapped Daisy Espinoza to serve as senior managing editor of politics. In her new role, she will oversee the network’s political coverage throughout all day parts. She joined Spectrum News 1 in 2018 as executive producer of the primetime political program “Inside The Issues.” Previously, she served as a news producer and executive producer at Telemundo 52. She also worked at Univision Sacramento in various roles for more than a decade.

Welker takes on new role at NBC News…Kristen Welker, a White House correspondent at NBC News has taken on the role of moderator of “Meet the Press.” Her first show as a full-time host will be Sept. 17. Welker has been with NBC News for more than a decade and served as NBC News correspondent in the Burbank bureau. She also reported for Philly NBC station WCAU-TV Ch. 10; WLNE-TV Ch. 6, an ABC affiliate in New Bedford, Mass. and KRCR-TV Ch. 7, an ABC station in Redding, Calif., where she was also an anchor. Be sure to congratulate Welker on X/Twitter.

BONUS – our ed and publisher Carlozo’s lastest podcast… On the latest episode of Bankadelic, host Lou Carlozo chats with Colin Savells, SVP of Revenue at  Teslar Software, about the double whammy community banks face: high-interest rates and trying to incorporate tech to help them keep up with the times. Be sure to check out the entire Bankadelic archive here. 

CBC’s biz and tech hire… CBC/Radio-Canada has tapped Madeline Smith to serve as a reporter covering business and technology. Recently, she was a health reporter at the Edmonton Journal in Canada. Smith has worked in Canada at various outlets, including as a city hall reporter at the Calgary Herald and as a reporter and photographer at Star Metro Calgary. She also freelanced for Maclean’s magazine. She also held reporter and editorial roles at The Canadian Press and The Globe and Mail. Be sure to congratulate Smith via X/Twitter.

Gannett names Barnes consumer advocate reporter… Gannett | USA Today Network has tapped Emily Barnes to serve as a consumer advocate reporter. She has joined the New York state team and is based in Rochester. Barnes joined the Gannett | USA Today Network as a government accountability intern in June 2021. Her most recent role was that of culture and changing neighborhoods reporter. Before this, she was a co-lead sports producer at The NewsHouse.com, which provides news on what is happening in and around Syracuse University. Barnes has a B.A. from Binghamton University in New York and a master’s degree from Syracuse University.

Epstein is Morning Brew’s new newsletter editor… Adam Epstein will join Morning Brew’s newsletter team as an editor. Recently, he was a senior editor at Morning Consult, where he oversaw the Brands, Sports and Entertainment verticals. Before this, Epstein was at Quartz for seven years, where he held the posts of editorial fellow and reporter, covering media and entertainment, including film, TV, streaming, sports, gaming, advertising, and more. There, he also won a SABEW Best in Business Award in 2020 for feature story on the future of television advertising. Epstein graduated from Johns Hopkins University and received a master’s degree from the Columbia Journalism School. You can connect with Epstein via X/Twitter.

Mariam Ahmed is Talking Biz News’ content correspondent. For tips on the Friday TBN Ticker, email her at mariam@talkingbiznews.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.