CNN Boss Draws Line in the Sand with Paramount on ‘Oversight’ of Network: Report
Courtesy of CNN
CNN head Mark Thompson has no interest in sharing “oversight” of his network and has made his position clear to incoming Paramount bosses ahead of an expected $111 billion merger with CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a new report.
With the merger looming and reports indicating Paramount-Skydance CEO David Ellison could hand CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss a major role at CNN, Michael M. Grynbaum and Benjamin Mullin reported in The New York Times that Thompson has made his feelings on the future clear.
Thompson has reportedly told Paramount executives that he “would not share oversight of CNN with another executive,” The Times reported. Thompson declined to comment for the story. According to the same sources, Thompson “has not yet heard from Mr. Ellison’s team about what role he will play after the merger.”
Weiss’s tenure at CBS has sent shockwaves through the network, significant overhauls among staff and major changes at long-running news programs like 60 Minutes. Two people familiar with the situation said Ellison is considering putting Weiss in charge of CNN, which would be a major step up from CBS News, a role she’s held for less than a year after little broadcasting experience.
One idea would be to team Weiss up with someone more experienced in network television who could handle the “technical and financial aspects” at CNN, according to Times sources.
Ellison has insisted CNN will maintain its “editorial independence” after the expected merger, but correspondents and on-air talent are expressing concerns about both Weiss’s involvement and Ellison’s relationship to President Donald Trump. Ellison has attended many events with Trump and his billionaire father, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, is a major Trump donor.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper reportedly said he has no interest in working with Weiss, multiple sources told The Times. Cooper left 60 Minutes in May after 20 years as a correspondent. Ellison reportedly met with another major anchor at the network, Jake Tapper, in the spring, though it’s unknown what specifically was discussed.
CNN tech journalist Kara Swisher said she will refuse to work with the network if Ellison replaces Thompson.
“So far, there’s nothing I’ve seen that indicates that they’re serious about creating a modern digital news organization,” she told The Times.
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