NEW YORK (AP) Chris Licht, the embattled chief executive of CNN , apologized to network employees on Monday for distracting from their work and promised to fight like hell to earn their trust amid criticism of his year at the helm.

Lichts tenure hit a low point last week with publication of a lengthy, damaging profile of him in Atlantic magazine and the appointment of a new executive from parent company Warner Bros. Discovery to help manage CNN.

Licht said on an editorial conference call that he was sorry that his role in the news cycle overshadowed the work of CNNs journalists, according to a transcript of the call. He described it as a humbling experience.

Licht said he would work to win their trust, because you deserve a leader who will be in the trenches, fighting to ensure CNN remains the worlds most trusted name in news.

CNN is not about me, he said. I should not be in the news.