CNN’s Zucker, Reunited With a Powerful Friend, Sees His Fortunes Change

Phone buddies and golf partners, Jeff Zucker and David Zaslav have a 30-year history. Now Zucker may be open to working for the man he calls a “best friend.”

Last summer, the future looked hazy for Jeff Zucker, the pugnacious president of CNN. His network was run by AT&T, a telecom company awkwardly experimenting in television. He was clashing with a new boss, Jason Kilar, who knew more about streaming video analytics than journalism. Donald J. Trump — whose supporters chanted “CNN sucks” — was vying for a second term as president. At 55, Mr. Zucker told friends it might be time for him to move on. One year later, AT&T is retreating from the media business, Mr. Kilar is negotiating his exit, and Mr. Trump is gone. And Mr. Zucker may now have the chance to work for one of his closest pals in business and in life, a golf buddy and confidant who the CNN president once said was “the best friend that anyone could ever want, and I’m lucky that he’s mine.”