New York Times chairman retires after 23 years leading the board | CNN Business (original) (raw)

Something isn't loading properly. Please check back later.

RS C block Thompson

NYT CEO: Pandemic proves 'value of trustworthy news'

04:30 - Source:CNN

NYT CEO: Pandemic proves 'value of trustworthy news'

04:30

Media 17 videos

RS C block Thompson

NYT CEO: Pandemic proves 'value of trustworthy news'

04:30

Now playing

- Source:CNN

NYT CEO: Pandemic proves 'value of trustworthy news'

04:30

roxane gay

Does your coworker smell? Hear what a NYT columnist says you should do

01:55

Now playing

- Source:CNN

Does your coworker smell? Hear what a NYT columnist says you should do

01:55

Tucker Carlson Christiane Amanpour Split for video SCREENGRAB

Amanpour pushes back on Tucker Carlson's claim about Putin interview

02:13

Now playing

- Source:CNN

Amanpour pushes back on Tucker Carlson's claim about Putin interview

02:13

putin tucker carlson

Abby Phillip breaks down Tucker Carlson's lies about news coverage of Russia

01:47

Now playing

- Source:CNN

Abby Phillip breaks down Tucker Carlson's lies about news coverage of Russia

01:47

SNL Nikki Haley Trump split

Trump character gives Nikki Haley a new nickname during 'SNL' appearance

01:52

Now playing

- Source:CNN

Trump character gives Nikki Haley a new nickname during 'SNL' appearance

01:52

Vivek Ramaswamy Taylor Swift SPLIT FOR VIDEO

Fox News guest: Please don't believe everything Taylor Swift says

02:22

Now playing

- Source:CNN

Fox News guest: Please don't believe everything Taylor Swift says

02:22

SNL Football Orig_00002719.png

'SNL' laments the coming end of football season

01:22

Now playing

- Source:CNN

'SNL' laments the coming end of football season

01:22

Ron DeSantis

DeSantis slams Fox News for failing to hold Trump 'accountable.' Hear reporter's reaction

03:04

Now playing

- Source:CNN

DeSantis slams Fox News for failing to hold Trump 'accountable.' Hear reporter's reaction

03:04

split anderson cooper john mayer

Anderson Cooper loses it as John Mayer dials in from surprising location

02:02

Now playing

- Source:CNN

Anderson Cooper loses it as John Mayer dials in from surprising location

02:02

david zaslav bob bakish split

Reporter breaks down what possible merger of these two media giants could mean for viewers

02:06

Now playing

- Source:CNN

Reporter breaks down what possible merger of these two media giants could mean for viewers

02:06

SNL Kate McKinnon Maya Rudolph Kristen Wiig 1

Kate McKinnon is back at 'SNL' and she brought friends

01:57

Now playing

- Source:CNN

Kate McKinnon is back at 'SNL' and she brought friends

01:57

ava duvernay

Ava DuVernay on new film: 'I'm proud this movie was based on a banned book'

01:20

Now playing

- Source:CNN

Ava DuVernay on new film: 'I'm proud this movie was based on a banned book'

01:20

SNL Adam Driver monologue

'Wokeness killed Han Solo': Adam Driver hosts SNL

02:31

Now playing

- Source:CNN

'Wokeness killed Han Solo': Adam Driver hosts SNL

02:31

Joan Donovan

Disinformation scholar says she was pushed out of Harvard after Facebook founder made a large donation

05:09

Now playing

- Source:CNN

Disinformation scholar says she was pushed out of Harvard after Facebook founder made a large donation

05:09

SNL Santos Final Press Conference_00002604.png

See how 'SNL' had fun with George Santos getting kicked out of Congress

01:18

Now playing

- Source:CNN

See how 'SNL' had fun with George Santos getting kicked out of Congress

01:18

kara swisher elon musk split vpx

'It was a meltdown': Kara Swisher reacts to Musk telling advertisers to 'go f**k yourself'

02:05

Now playing

- Source:CNN

'It was a meltdown': Kara Swisher reacts to Musk telling advertisers to 'go f**k yourself'

02:05

SNL Timothee Chalamet 1

Timothée Chalamet channels his inner 'Wonka' on 'SNL'

01:34

Now playing

- Source:CNN

Timothée Chalamet channels his inner 'Wonka' on 'SNL'

01:34

New York CNN Business —

Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr., is retiring as chairman of the New York Times Co. as of the end of this year, turning control of the family-controlled company that publishes the paper over to his son.

AG Sulzberger, 40, has been publisher of the Times since 2018, the sixth member of the Sulzberger and Ochs family to serve in that role, succeeding his father in that role as well. The family has controlled the company since buying the paper in 1896.

Sulzberger, Jr., 69, who was publisher of the Times for more than 25 years, will retire as chairman effective December 31. He held the chairmanship since 1997, overseeing the greatest change in the paper in more than a century. He took it from a purely black-and-white paper to color printing, expanded its national edition and oversaw the transformation from print to online news distribution. Last quarter for the first time in its history, the paper’s digital revenue exceeded its print revenue.

Print media has been struggling for years as readers shift to online. The Times, which instituted a paywall in 2011 for readers wanting to access its stories online, has weathered that change better than most publishers. It now has 5.7 million digital-only subscriptions, and has a target of 10 million digital subscribers by 2025.

But the New York Times and other publishers have been hit hard during the pandemic as advertising revenue plunged 44% in the second quarter as brands eliminated discretionary spending and some major retailers filed for bankruptcy.

Despite the repeated claims by President Donald Trump that the paper is “failing,” the Times has remained profitable. Even in the most recent second quarter it posted net income of $23.7 million, only a 6% decrease from a year ago despite the hit from the pandemic. In 2019 it posted a 20% gain in net income.

Although his son will be chairman of the board, AG Sulzberger will not be CEO of the company. In July Meredith Kopit Levien, who had been chief operating officer, was named to that post. She succeeded Mark Thompson, 62, who has served as CEO since 2012, on September 8.

“Serving this essential institution and working alongside so many gifted journalists over the years has been the privilege of my life,” said Sulzberger Jr. “There’s an old saying, ‘Laurels are nice to wear, but never to rest upon.’ I know A.G. will not rest in his drive to empower our journalists and expand the scope of The Times’s ambitions.

CNN Business Videos