Ex-CNN host Brian Stelter says he still doesn't know why 'Reliable Sources' was canceled

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Brian Stelter says goodbye to CNN media show 'Reliable Sources'

Brian Stelter hosted the final episode of CNN's media show "Reliable Sources" on Sunday.?

Nearly six months after his firing from CNN, Brian Stelter has apparently been, even to this day, kept in the dark as to why "Reliable Sources" was canceled. 

Appearing on Wednesday's Big Technology podcast, Stelter recalled his ousting from CNN in August 2022 as being a "big surprise" at the time but now says he feels "a real sense of contentment" being a stay-at-home dad.

He remained thankful to CNN management that he was given the chance to "sign off" as the "Reliable Sources" host and have a final program before being pulled from the air. 

Stelter was asked whether he ever found out if his dismissal was due to John Malone, a board member of Warner Bros. Discovery who famously criticized CNN for veering away from just reporting the news. Malone previously denied he had anything to do with the cancelation of "Reliable Sources," saying he wanted "the ‘news’ portion of CNN to be more centrist, but I am not in control or directly involved."

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"I'll be the last to know about why ‘Reliable Sources’ was canceled," Stelter said. "I will say… John Malone's interviews on CNBC are very significant. And there's been a lot of reporting about CNN that lots of staffers there were worried about what he was saying."

Brian Stelter insists he doesn't know why he was shown the door at CNN.? (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)

The ex-CNN host remained mum about his private conversations with his former boss Chris Licht ahead of his ousting, but sang the praises of Jeff Zucker, the former CNN president who was forced out over his undisclosed relationship with colleague Allison Gollust, a top network executive who was also ousted. 

Podcast host Alex Kantrowitz noted that reporting at the time of Zucker's downfall was that his affair with Gollust was allegedly an "open secret" at CNN, something Stelter pushed back on.

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However, amid crosstalk, Stelter dodged Kantrowitz's question of whether he himself knew about Zucker and Gollust's relationship, a subject he has previously danced around when discussing the scandal.  

Fox News Digital asked Stelter directly whether he knew about the relationship. He did not respond to the inquiry. 

Ex-CNN president Jeff Zucker and top CNN executive Allison Gollust were forced out by the network after failing to disclose their consensual relationship to their employer. (Getty Images)

Throughout the podcast, Stelter repeatedly defended CNN on numerous subjects from its flailing ratings to the network's bizarre feud with Joe Rogan over his use of the doctor-prescribed human-form of ivermectin as COVID treatment, which CNN anchors repeatedly characterized as "horse dewormer." 

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Stelter did not deny reports that he was spotted recently at The New York Times, which still has a vacant media columnist position following the January 2022 departure of Ben Smith. Stelter was previously a media reporter at the Times before joining CNN in 2013. 

When asked whether he'd accept an offer from the Times, Stelter responded by saying he's currently enjoying the "precious time" he has with his family. 

Brian Stelter was let go by CNN in August.? (Screenshot/CNN/ReliableSources)

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Stelter was once the legacy media's biggest defender during the Trump era, offering constant criticism of the former president while often avoiding coverage of some of the biggest media stories on his media-centric program.

CNN has undergone significant personnel changes under new boss Licht. In addition to Stelter, other high-profile dismissals in recent months include CNN's chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, White House correspondent John Harwood and editor-at-large Chris Cillizza. 

Licht has also made significant changes to CNN's lineup, most notably pulling Don Lemon from primetime for a revamped morning show co-anchored by Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins. Their show, which launched in November, had dismal viewership for its debut and has only shed viewers since.