LOL: Discovery Exec Referred to CNN+ as ‘CNN Minus’ Before Shutting It Down

Among the revelations surrounding Thursday’s news that CNN+ was being eliminated, one Source: The New York TimesThat Warner Bros. Discovery JB Perrette observed that people started to refer to the failed streaming service as CNN while they were meeting with Chris Licht (incoming CNN boss) about its future.

CNN.com also features liberal media janitors Oliver Darcy (Brian Stelter) and Oliver Darcy Retransmitted scenes from inside CNN’s New York hub of distraught staffers drinking and “huddling” Together in “sadness.”

The Times’ reporters John Koblin, Benjamin Mullin and Michael M. Grynbaum reported that “seeds of” CNN+’s “stunning and ignominious end…were planted weeks ago” thanks to CNN’s decision to launch CNN+ just prior to Warner Media’s merger with Discovery and over the objections of Discovery executives.

The Times reporters said Licht and Perrette had “convened several meetings over the past several weeks to figure out what to do with the service” in which the latter cited past streaming failures for Discovery and touted “tweets that called the service ‘CNN Minus’ because the digital outfit did not include content from the CNN cable network.”

Licht apparently spoke at the company meeting where the news was made. “compared CNN’s efforts to launch CNN+ to a builder constructing a house without being allowed to speak to the intended owner”:

“Then the new owner came in and said, ‘What a beautiful house! But I need an apartment,’” Mr. Licht said, according to the recording. “And that doesn’t take anything away from this beautiful house you built. I am proud of it, and I am proud of this team, and I am gutted by what this means for you.”

Stelter and Darcy discussed more details of the meeting. Perrette said he was disturbed by Jeff Zucker, ex-CNN boss and his team’s decision to put the network into this situation.

“Some of this was avoidable,” he said, but “prior leadership decided to just keep going” with the planned March launch of CNN+ despite the impending merger, he said.

One anonymous employee was also mentioned. “described the sentiment as ‘total and utter shock’ that morphed into despair”Begin with them “freaking out”They were there before you “turned to sadness” while “huddl[ed]” together. They then went their separate ways. “broke out whiskey and wine to commiserate.”

If this were Fox Nation going under, it’s safe to say both outlets wouldn’t be so somber.