Melody Taylor is a senior media executive and innovation leader serving as Senior Director of U.S. Programming at CNN and Executive Producer of CNN Headlines, where she drives strategic growth, newsroom transformation, and the network’s expansion into Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST). She led the launch of CNN Headlines, CNN’s flagship FAST channel, helping guide the organization’s transition into the future of ad-supported streaming and multi-platform news delivery.

Taylor focuses on building scalable programming strategies, modernizing newsroom operations, and developing new approaches to audience engagement across linear, digital, and streaming platforms. She works at the intersection of editorial leadership, technology integration, and business strategy, helping shape how journalism is produced, distributed, and experienced in a rapidly evolving media environment.

At CNN, Taylor has played a central role in major programming and platform initiatives, including CNN News Central, CNN This Morning with Audie Cornish, and programming for CNN Max. She has also led efforts to introduce new production tools and workflows that improve efficiency and support next-generation newsroom operations.

Since joining CNN in 2012, Taylor has held leadership roles across CNN, HLN, and CNN International, including Executive Producer of Morning Express with Robin Meade and Weekend Express. She has helped lead coverage of major global and national events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. presidential inaugurations, major weather events, and international special coverage.

Taylor began her journalism career as a producer at KHOU-TV in Houston, WCNC-TV in Charlotte, and WRGB-TV in Albany, New York

She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and lives in Atlanta with her husband and two sons.