REGRETS

WarnerMedia CEO Apologizes for Saying the Pandemic Is ‘Good for Ratings’

After telling investors the coronavirus pandemic has boosted his business, Jason Kilar wrote, “I would like nothing more than for this pandemic to be well behind us.”

The CEO of WarnerMedia, owner of CNN and HBO, is sorry he praised the coronavirus pandemic as “really good for ratings.” Jason Kilar said in a virtual keynote speech Thursday, “It turns out the pandemic is a pretty big part of the news cycle and that’s not going away any time soon… It turns out it’s really good for ratings.” Kilar later apologized and clarified his comment on Twitter: “I would like nothing more than for this pandemic to be well behind us… I wish I could go back and be more thoughtful about my communication… I am sorry for the sentence and for uttering it. My apologies.” In the same address, when Kilar announced an ad-supported version of HBO Max that will cost less than the ad-free version, he said, “It turns out, most people on this planet are not wealthy.” He apologized for those remarks as well.