Sam Feist is an American media executive and journalist. He is the chief executive officer of C-SPAN and former chief of CNN's Washington, D.C. news bureau.
Early life and education Feist received a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Vanderbilt University in 1991 and a juris doctor from Georgetown University in 1999. At Vanderbilt, Feist was a reporter and editor for The Vanderbilt Hustler.
Career Feist began working for CNN in 1989 as an intern. In 1990, he became a freelance producer in London. He received a full-time position in 1991 and moved to Atlanta. He moved to the network's Washington, D.C. news bureau in 1992. He was the founding executive producer of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, which premiered in August 2005. Feist was the network's political director and senior executive producer for political coverage from 2006 to 2008, and named vice president of Washington-based programming in 2009. In 2011, CNN named Feist senior vice president and chief of its Washington, D.C., news bureau, where he oversaw newsgathering and production. Feist produced election night coverage and shows including Crossfire, Capital Gang, Evans & Novak, and Inside Politics. During election broadcasts, he was responsible for projecting the winners.
Feist was named chief executive officer of C-SPAN in May 2024, succeeding co-CEOs Susan Swain and Robert Kennedy. In 2025, he created Ceasefire, a panel discussion series bringing together Republicans and Democrats for civil discourse. The program was inspired by his work on Crossfire.
Awards + Awards Year Recognized work Role Award/Honor Awarding organization 2007Election NightExecutive producerNews and Documentary Emmy AwardAcademy of Television Arts and Sciences2008Coverage of 2008 Presidential Primary Campaigns and DebatesExecutive producerGeorge Foster Peabody AwardNational Association of Broadcasters2012Revolution in Egypt: President Mubarak Steps DownVice President of Washington ProgrammingNews and Documentary Emmy AwardAcademy of Television Arts and Sciences2013Election Night in AmericaExecutive ProducerNews and Documentary Emmy AwardAcademy of Television Arts and Sciences2023Live from the Capitol: January 6th, One Year LaterExecutive producerNews and Documentary Emmy AwardAcademy of Television Arts and Sciences2024A CNN Town Hall: Toxic Train Disaster, Ohio Residents Speak OutExecutive producerNews and Documentary Emmy AwardAcademy of Television Arts and Sciences
References