David Ellison Keeps Mark Thompson at CNN for 1 Year as $111 Billion Deal Nears Close
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 1
David Ellison Keeps Mark Thompson at CNN for 1 Year as $111 Billion Deal Nears Close
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 1
Summary
Mark Thompson is set to remain CNN’s top executive for at least the next year under a plan David Ellison is negotiating ahead of Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Bari Weiss, whom Ellison chose to run CBS News, is not expected to take editorial or operational control of CNN when the deal closes, though her role could change later.
Those terms reflect Thompson’s push to preserve CNN’s independence and keep authority over the network without interference from other executives.
Next week’s expected close of the $111 billion deal will place CNN and CBS News, along with HBO, Paramount+ and two major film studios, under one corporate umbrella.
With a $110 billion merger closing, is CNN's promised editorial independence under Mark Thompson just a temporary pause before a massive corporate overhaul?
As David Zaslav exits and Ynon Kreiz steps up, how will the Paramount-WBD giant balance CBS News's restructuring with CNN's digital transformation?