There's a fraction too much friction between two of CNN's top dogs, according to The New York Post (via Inside Cable News).

According to the Post, some within CNN are blaming the network's woes directly on frosty relations between Ken Jautz, executive vice president of CNN, and Mark Whitaker, executive vice president and managing editor for CNN Worldwide.

"Sources were quick to cite “misaligned management” within the top ranks as a major reason for the dysfunction. Jautz, who previously ran HLN, replaced former CNN US head Jon Klein two years ago — but some of Klein’s duties were given to Whitaker.


“When Jon was there, the structure was more linear,” said an insider, adding that Jautz and Whitaker, “have competing ideas for what we should do.”


The insider further told us: “Ken is not an editorial guy. He really is an operations guy. Mark’s strong suit is editorial, but he doesn’t know as much about television.”


Sources pointed to O’Brien’s show, which Whitaker oversees, as an example of competing, confusing philosophies. One insider said: “Ken does not like all of the ‘conversation on camera’ on the morning show. Mark does, because his vision is to make it that go-to conversation piece that ‘Morning Joe’ has become. It’s a constant battle.”


Making matters more unclear, both execs report to CNN honcho Jim Walton, and chatter’s swirling on how long he’ll remain."

More from The New York Post here.