The man behind The New York Times' digital turnaround is trying to pull off another transformation — this time with CNN's new streaming service.

Last week, CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery announced it was up for sale and said it had received “multiple” expressions of interest—insisting that Paramount Skydance, which has been circling the network under new boss David Ellison, was not the only suitor.

CNN is ushering in a new era today with the launch of its All Access subscription streaming tier. The streaming outlet is coming to market about three-and-a-half years after corporate parent Warner Bros.

Status reports that CNN CEO Mark Thompson told his staffers on a conference call Thursday to reduce the network’s coverage of the White House’s destruction, one day after he had paid a visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Since taking the helm of CNN two years ago, Sir Mark Thompson—both a British Knight and American citizen—has been something of an enigma to both media observers and even many inside the network itself. To outsiders, he arrived at a moment when the ...