CNN's Jeff Zucker: Digital is our future

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• published: 23 Jul 2013
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CNN president Jeff Zucker discusses the future of the brand, its focus on mobile, and the importance of understanding "where our bread is buttered" with Fortune Managing Editor Andy Serwer at the 2013 Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen Colorado Transcript: ANDY SERWER: (Applause.) Well, it's great to have Jeff here. And, by the way, the last name rhymes with -- JEFF ZUCKER: "Hooker." ANDY SERWER: Right. True thing, that's how it's pronounced, so no controversy there. Jeff, we're delighted to have you here. JEFF ZUCKER: Thank you for having me. ANDY SERWER: You're welcome, I think you wanted to tell the people a little bit -- you're a little under the weather. JEFF ZUCKER: I am. Just so everybody knows, I am actually dealing with a case of Bell's palsy on the left side of my face. It's about my seventh week. I'm totally fine. It will go away, but as a result, my speech is a little slurred, so I apologize for that. But I'm all good, it will be fine in time. But we're just dealing with that as we sit here. ANDY SERWER: And if anyone tells any jokes, he may not laugh. JEFF ZUCKER: Right, as a result, I can't laugh. So I know Andy's going to be really funny. But I won't be able to laugh at those jokes, so you guys will have to laugh. ANDY SERWER: The reason why he's not laughing at Andy is because Andy usually isn't funny. Anyway, Jeff, of course, is president of CNN Worldwide. Started January 1st, basically this year. And before that, of course, was the CEO of NBC Universal, a longstanding television veteran. Used to be a wunderkind. JEFF ZUCKER: That's a long time ago. I'm a lot older now. ANDY SERWER: That was a long time ago, but yeah, now when you get sort of towards the half-century mark, you kind of lose that a little bit. JEFF ZUCKER: Thanks. ANDY SERWER: Anyway, you're welcome. JEFF ZUCKER: See, I can't laugh. ANDY SERWER: You can't laugh. Because it's not funny. Anyway, being the head of CNN is an amazing job, high-profile job, a challenging job. You are right in the spotlight. And I guess the first thing to ask you is, you know, what are you trying to do? And what is the strategy? And does it matter if someone like me gets the strategy, or is it just building viewers? JEFF ZUCKER: Well, I mean, you know, I'd like you to understand a little bit of the strategy, but we also want those viewers. Look, I think the strategy -- look, CNN remains one of the great brands in news and information in the world. And the key I think is to make sure that CNN is essential to as many people as possible both here in the United States and around the world. And that's how we succeed is by being essential. Now, the key CNN has usually been essential in times of breaking news and people would use CNN a little bit like the spare tire in the trunk. You would take it out when you needed it, and then put it back. The key for us, and the goal and the strategy is to make sure that we are more essential more of the time. So actually you're using that tire on the car all the time. And that's really been the goal for us this year is to build programming with hosts and anchors that will bring people back on a more regular basis. We actually are in the middle of a very good year. We're having much more success than we have had before. And we've got a long way to go. But the strategy is to be more essential more of the time. And have you come to us not just when the royal baby is born. Transcript continues here: http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/07/23/transcript-jeff-zucker-brainstorm-tech/