Good evening, I'm Dylan Byers.

Welcome back to In the Room, my biweekly private email on the intrigue and inside story behind what’s going on in the media industry. In today’s email, some new dish on David Zaslav's plans for Warner Bros. Discovery, and some speculation on Brian Williams’ next chapter.

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Zaz’s New Order & BriWi’s Next Move?

The new king of cable media is preparing to restructure his org chart upon the consummation of the Warner Bros.-Discovery merger. Meanwhile, at Chris Licht’s CNN, a new game of thrones begins.

In one month's time, David Zaslav will close the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger and formally announce the creation of Warner Bros. Discovery, officially cementing his status as one of the most powerful people in media. His coronation will mark the end of a year-long honeymoon period during which nearly all of Hollywood and New York came to kiss his ring at the Polo Lounge and in the Hamptons, and the beginning of the actual work, which includes but is not limited to: overhauling Warner Bros. to compete with Disney, growing the HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming businesses (which will eventually come together under one banner) and repositioning CNN for its Chris Licht-led straight news (and streaming-friendly lifestyle content) future—all while trying to find $3 billion in cost savings to help alleviate $30 billion of debt. Few in the industry doubt Zaslav's acumen or his ability to meet these challenges; he was brought up under the tutelage of Jack Welch and John Malone, after all. But even his cheerleaders know he has his work cut out for him.

In the meantime, industry insiders remain preoccupied by a question: Who will serve as Zaslav's top lieutenant in Hollywood? It turns out there will be more than one. At AT&T's WarnerMedia, Ann Sarnoff was tasked with overseeing the entire entertainment portfolio, including Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO and HBO Max, Warner Bros. Television Group, a slew of television networks, consumer products, and so on. Zaslav, a hands-on leader with an aversion to corporate layers, will restructure the org chart to effectively get rid of that tier, sources familiar with his plans told me...

FOUR STORIES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT