You wanna remake a network, you gotta break a few eggs…CNN fires Brian Stelter

CNN is canceling its Sunday media affairs show Reliable Sources, and host Brian Stelter is departing the network, Stelter tells NPR.

In a statement to NPR, Stelter says he's grateful for the show and his team's examination of "the media, truth and the stories that shape our world."

"It was a rare privilege to lead a weekly show focused on the press at a time when it has never been more consequential," Stelter said, promising to say more on Sunday's show — its final episode.

Stelter got his start blogging about cable news as a student and went on to become a media reporter for The New York Times. Reliable Sources is the longest-running show on CNN; Stelter has hosted it for the past nine years and celebrated its 30th anniversary in March.

CNN chief Chris Licht informed Stelter of the decision yesterday. Licht has been making cuts throughout the network since taking the helm as part of Warner Bros. Discovery's takeover of the old Time Warner company. Stelter, who often touted the show's ratings on Twitter, was among those CNN hosts targeted for frequent criticism from conservatives for his coverage of the media in the Trump years.

Among those publicly joining in on the broader criticism of CNN as having become politicized was the investor John Malone, a major financial stakeholder of the new WarnerDiscovery conglomerate. In an episode on February, Stelter cited Malone more than a dozen times in coverage of the Discovery deal for CNN and its sister properties, expressing some concern about the investor's influence.

"Stelter came to CNN from the New York Times as the nation's top media reporter. He departs CNN an impeccable broadcaster," Amy Entelis, CNN's executive vice president for talent and content development. "We are proud of what Brian and his team accomplished over the years, and we're confident their impact and influence will long outlive the show."