Observed Signal · Apr 10, 2026 · Hiring · Source: Adweek · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
CNN Names Alex MacCallum Chief Operating Officer
CNN promoted Alex MacCallum to chief operating officer after more than two years back at the network. MacCallum previously served as executive vice president of digital products and services, leading initiatives including the All Access subscription product, the CNN Express FAST channel, and an upcoming weather service. She fills the role vacated by David Leavy and will continue to oversee product and digital revenue/operations as well as non-editorial departments such as group strategy, operations, mission-driven project work, strategic partnerships and business development. The roundup also lists other media hires: Patrick Svitek (from The Washington Post) and Carolina Peguero joined CNN reporting teams; ABC News named Leslie Lopez meteorologist and Jon Schlosberg executive producer of This Week; CBS News hired Joshua Hoyos for streaming oversight; CNBC added Justina Lee in Singapore; Fox News named Captain Butch Wilmore a contributor; MS NOW added John Kirby as a national security analyst.
A major news organization (CNN) elevated a senior executive to COO who will oversee digital products, subscription and FAST channel efforts—this affects publisher monetization and CTV/streaming inventory but is mainly a company-level personnel change with limited immediate industry-wide impact.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Alex MacCallum was promoted to chief operating officer at CNN.
- MacCallum previously served as CNN's executive vice president of digital products and services and led launches including All Access and the CNN Express FAST channel.
- MacCallum fills the COO role vacated by David Leavy and will oversee product, digital revenue/operations and several non-editorial departments.
- CNN hired Patrick Svitek (from The Washington Post) as a Washington-based reporter and Carolina Peguero as a CNN en Español correspondent in Miami.
- Other media hires announced: ABC News named Leslie Lopez meteorologist and Jon Schlosberg executive producer of This Week; CBS News hired Joshua Hoyos for CBS News 24/7 streaming; CNBC named Justina Lee Singapore-based reporter; Fox News added Captain Butch Wilmore as contributor; MS NOW named John Kirby national security analyst.
Connected Companies & Entities
4 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
OpenAI, CNN Announce Marketing Leadership Moves
Adweek's weekly 'Marketers on the Move' roundup (week ending May 29, 2026) reports several marketing leadership hires and reorganizations. OpenAI hired ServiceNow executive Colin Fleming as chief marketing officer for its business unit, signaling a stronger enterprise marketing push. CNN consolidated its brand marketing and growth marketing functions into a single organization and named Anna Frost as head of marketing for CNN Worldwide. The article, authored by Rebecca Stewart (Adweek's brand editor), highlights the ongoing turnover and strategic shifts in CMO and senior marketing roles across major brands.
CNN Celebrates 100 Episodes Amid CNBC Layoffs and Changes
CNN’s Saturday program First of All with Victor Blackwell celebrated its 100th episode. Launched in 2024, the weekly show (also a podcast) focuses on national headlines affecting communities of color; leaders including host Victor Blackwell and EP Sidney Wright IV commented on the program’s mission. Separately, CNBC laid off fewer than a dozen staffers as part of a newsroom reorganization that joins digital and TV operations; a CNBC spokesperson said the changes are meant to align the newsroom for the future and that the network expects to hire more than 40 new editorial roles over the next year. Reuters reports the overhaul, led by CNBC editor-in-chief David Cho, is tied to plans to introduce a website paywall. The piece also notes hires and personnel moves at CNBC and NBC News and reports on MS NOW audience growth and upcoming primary-election coverage.
Sandi Cohen Named EP for Peter Alexander’s MS NOW
MS NOW has appointed Sandi Cohen as executive producer for Peter Alexander’s upcoming morning news program. Cohen starts June 1 and will be based in New York City while Alexander anchors from Washington, D.C. She is charged with launching the flagship 11 a.m. ET show and building its editorial vision and format. Cohen joins MS NOW from CNN, where she was a senior broadcast producer on Laura Coates Live and held leadership production roles on programs including New Day and CNN Tonight. At MS NOW she will report to Casey Dolan, vice president of dayside programming.
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