Ken Lerer is stepping down as chairman of BuzzFeed, the digital publisher he has overseen for the last 10 years.
Lerer is departing for personal reasons in order to pursue other projects and focus on his venture fund, an individual with knowledge of his decision told TheWrap. The board has not determined whether it will name a new chairman. Co-founder Jonah Peretti remains as CEO.
Lerer is leaving during a bit of rocky time for the 12-year old publisher. Earlier this year, BuzzFeed laid off around 200 people — 15% of its staff — which gutted the national news and national security desks, while the LGBT beat was trimmed to a single staffer.
The company made over $300 million in revenue in 2018 and is on track to become profitable in 2020, the individual added.
The company is also in a heated battle with its employees over their newly formed union, which BuzzFeed has not yet formally recognized.
Also Read: Bernie Sanders Rebukes BuzzFeed for 'Stalling Tactics' in Union Negotiations
Last week, numerous BuzzFeed staffers staged a walkout to protest the company’s delay in recognizing the BuzzFeed News Union.
Lerer is managing director of his venture fund Lerer Hippeau. BuzzFeed is the second board that Lerer has exited recently, following his departure as Viacom’s director last year. Lerer Hippeau’s other media investments include Axios, Brat, Group Nine Media and Refinery29. Lerer sits on the board of Group Nine, which is owned by Discovery Communications, where his son, Ben, is the CEO. His daughter, Izzie, runs The Dodo, Group Nine’s animal-themed vertical.
Lerer has been one of the early pioneers of the digital-native news business. He co-founded the Huffington Post with Peretti and Ariana Huffington. He invested in BuzzFeed after Peretti left Huffington Post, and became chairman.
Axios first reported the news of Lerer stepping down.
Fall TV Premieres: Here's When All Your Favorite Broadcast Shows Will Return (Photos)
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The CW/CBS/NBC
Summer may have just begun, but we're already looking ahead to autumn, as the broadcast networks have set their Fall TV premiere dates. Click through TheWrap's gallery to see when all of your favorite ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and CW series are coming back in the later months of the year.
Also Read: Fall TV 2019 Premiere Dates: The Complete List of New and Returning Shows (Updating)
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ABC
Series: "Dancing With the Stars" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Monday, Sept. 16 Time: 8 p.m.
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Fox
Series: "9-1-1" Net: Fox Premiere Date: Monday, Sept. 23 Time: 8 p.m.
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CBS
Series: "The Neighborhood" Net: CBS Premiere Date: Monday, Sept. 23 Time: 8 p.m.
Also Read: CBS Fall Premiere Dates 2019: Five New Shows to Debut in September
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NBC
Series: "The Voice" Net: NBC Premiere Date: Monday, Sept. 23 Time: 8 p.m.
Also Read: NBC Sets Fall Premiere Dates: See When ‘The Voice,’ ‘This Is Us’ and ‘The Good Place’ Return
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CBS
Series: "Bull" Net: CBS Premiere Date: Monday, Sept. 23 Time: 10 p.m.
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ABC
Series: "The Good Doctor" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Monday, Sept. 23 Time: 10 p.m.
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Fox
Series: "The Resident" Net: Fox Premiere Date: Tuesday, Sept. 24 Time: 8 p.m.
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CBS
Series: "NCIS" Net: CBS Premiere Date: Tuesday, Sept. 24 Time: 8 p.m.
Also Read: Ratings: Gary Woodland’s US Open Victory Tees Up Father’s Day Win for Fox
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ABC
Series: "The Conners" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Tuesday, Sept. 24 Time: 8 p.m.
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ABC
Series: "Bless This Mess" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Tuesday, Sept. 24 Time: 8:30 p.m.
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NBC
Series: "This Is Us" Net: NBC Premiere Date: Tuesday, Sept. 24 Time: 9 p.m.
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CBS
Series: "FBI" Net: CBS Premiere Date: Tuesday, Sept. 24 Time: 9 p.m.
Also Read: Fall TV 2019: Every Broadcast Show Canceled, Renewed and Ordered So Far (Updating)
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Fox
Series: "Empire" Net: Fox Premiere Date: Tuesday, Sept. 24 Time: 9 p.m.
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ABC
Series: "black-ish" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Tuesday, Sept. 24 Time: 9:30 p.m.
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CBS
Series: "NCIS: New Orleans" Net: CBS Premiere Date: Tuesday, Sept. 24 Time: 10 p.m.
Also Read: The CW Sets Fall Premiere Dates: Here’s When ‘Batwoman’ Premieres and ‘Riverdale’ Returns
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NBC
Series: "New Amsterdam" Net: NBC Premiere Date: Tuesday, Sept. 24 Time: 10 p.m.
Also Read: Ratings: NBC’s ‘New Amsterdam’ Season Finale Grows, Other Broadcast Ones Don’t
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Fox
Series: "The Masked Singer" Net: Fox Premiere Date: Wednesday, Sept. 25 Time: 8 p.m.
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ABC
Series: "The Goldbergs" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Wednesday, Sept. 25 Time: 8 p.m.
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CBS
Series: "Survivor" Net: CBS Premiere Date: Wednesday, Sept. 25 Time: 8 p.m.* *Time slot premiere: Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 8 p.m.
Also Read: 26 Bonkers Reality Competition Shows You Forgot Existed (Photos)
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NBC
Series: "Chicago Med" Net: NBC Premiere Date: Wednesday, Sept. 25 Time: 8 p.m.
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ABC
Series: "Schooled" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Wednesday, Sept. 25 Time: 8:30 p.m.
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NBC
Series: "Chicago Fire" Net: NBC Premiere Date: Wednesday, Sept. 25 Time: 9 p.m.
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ABC
Series: "Modern Family" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Wednesday, Sept. 25 Time: 9 p.m.
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ABC
Series: "Single Parents" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Wednesday, Sept. 25 Time: 9:30 p.m.
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NBC
Series: "Chicago P.D." Net: NBC Premiere Date: Wednesday, Sept. 25 Time: 10 p.m.
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NBC
Series: "Superstore" Net: NBC Premiere Date: Thursday, Sept. 26 Time: 8 p.m.
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ABC
Series: "Grey's Anatomy" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Thursday, Sept. 26 Time: 8 p.m.
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CBS
Series: "Young Sheldon" Net: CBS Premiere Date: Thursday, Sept. 26 Time: 8 p.m.
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CBS
Series: "Mom" Net: CBS Premiere Date: Thursday, Sept. 26 Time: 9 p.m.
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NBC
Series: "The Good Place" Net: NBC Premiere Date: Thursday, Sept. 26 Time: 9 p.m.
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ABC
Series: "A Million Little Things" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Thursday, Sept. 26 Time: 9 p.m.
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NBC
Series: "Law & Order: SVU" Net: NBC Premiere Date: Thursday, Sept. 26 Time: 10 p.m.
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ABC
Series: "How to Get Away With Murder" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Thursday, Sept. 26 Time: 10 p.m.
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CBS
Series: "Hawaii Five-0" Net: CBS Premiere Date: Friday, Sept. 27 Time: 8 p.m.
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ABC
Series: "American Housewife" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Friday, Sept. 27 Time: 8 p.m.
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ABC
Series: "Fresh Off the Boat" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Friday, Sept. 27 Time: 8:30 p.m.
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CBS
Series: "Magnum P.I." Net: CBS Premiere Date: Friday, Sept. 27 Time: 9 p.m.
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CBS
Series: "Blue Bloods" Net: CBS Premiere Date: Friday, Sept. 27 Time: 10 p.m.
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ABC
Series: "America's Funniest Home Videos" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Sunday, Sept. 29 Time: 7 p.m.
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Fox
Series: "The Simpsons" Net: Fox Premiere Date: Sunday, Sept. 29 Time: 8 p.m.
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CBS
Series: "God Friended Me" Net: CBS Premiere Date: Sunday, Sept. 29 Time: 8:30 p.m.* *Time slot premiere: Sunday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m.
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Fox
Series: "Bob's Burgers" Net: Fox Premiere Date: Sunday, Sept. 29 Time: 9 p.m.
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ABC
Series: "Shark Tank" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Sunday, Sept. 29 Time: 9 p.m.
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CBS
Series: "NCIS: Los Angeles" Net: CBS Premiere Date: Sunday, Sept. 29 Time: 9:30 p.m.* *Time slot premiere: Sunday, Oct. 6 at 9 p.m.
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Fox
Series: "Family Guy" Net: Fox Premiere Date: Sunday, Sept. 29 Time: 9:30 p.m.
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ABC
Series: "The Rookie" Net: ABC Premiere Date: Sunday, Sept. 29 Time: 10 p.m.
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CBS
Series: "SEAL Team" Net: CBS Premiere Date: Wednesday, Oct. 2 Time: 9 p.m.
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CBS
Series: "S.W.A.T." Net: CBS Premiere Date: Wednesday, Oct. 2 Time: 10 p.m.
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NBC
Series: "The Blacklist" Net: NBC Premiere Date: Friday, Oct. 4 Time: 8 p.m.
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The CW
Series: "Supergirl" Net: The CW Premiere Date: Sunday, Oct. 6 Time: 9 p.m.
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CBS
Series: "Madam Secretary" Net: CBS Premiere Date: Sunday, Oct. 6 Time: 10 p.m.
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The CW
Series: "All American" Net: The CW Premiere Date: Monday, Oct. 7 Time: 8 p.m.
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The CW
Series: "Black Lightning" Net: The CW Premiere Date: Monday, Oct. 7 Time: 9 p.m.
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The CW
Series: "The Flash" Net: The CW Premiere Date: Tuesday, Oct. 8 Time: 8 p.m.
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The CW
Series: "Riverdale" Net: The CW Premiere Date: Wednesday, Oct. 9 Time: 8 p.m.
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The CW
Series: "Supernatural" Net: The CW Premiere Date: Thursday, Oct. 10 Time: 8 p.m.
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The CW
Series: "Legacies" Net: The CW Premiere Date: Thursday, Oct. 10 Time: 9 p.m.
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The CW
Series: "Charmed" Net: The CW Premiere Date: Friday, Oct. 11 Time: 8 p.m.
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The CW
Series: "Dynasty" Net: The CW Premiere Date: Friday, Oct. 11 Time: 9 p.m.
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The CW
Series: "Arrow" Net: The CW Premiere Date: Tuesday, Oct. 15 Time: 9 p.m.
From ”Arrow“ to ”Young Sheldon,“ TheWrap has your important small-screen dates
Summer may have just begun, but we're already looking ahead to autumn, as the broadcast networks have set their Fall TV premiere dates. Click through TheWrap's gallery to see when all of your favorite ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and CW series are coming back in the later months of the year.
Also Read: Fall TV 2019 Premiere Dates: The Complete List of New and Returning Shows (Updating)