Skydance Agrees CNN Editorial Board as $650 Million Network Tests Merger Safeguards
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 5
Skydance Agrees CNN Editorial Board as $650 Million Network Tests Merger Safeguards
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 5
Summary
Skydance agreed to create an independent editorial oversight board for CNN as part of a settlement with state attorneys general who had sought to block the merger on antitrust grounds.
CNN is expected to net about $650 million this year, but the board is meant to address concerns that new owner David Ellison could influence coverage as the network remains a frequent Trump target.
Mark Thompson is staying atop CNN, helping Skydance avoid an immediate fight over editorial direction even as Ellison has kept Bari Weiss — his CBS News pick — walled off from the network for now.
Viewership still trails MS NOW and Fox News, and CNN's digital business remains early-stage, leaving Skydance to decide whether to build out Thompson's subscription strategy or pursue a sharper reset.