CNN CEO Mark Thompson Stays Through Skydance's $111 Billion Takeover
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 5
CNN CEO Mark Thompson Stays Through Skydance's $111 Billion Takeover
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 5
Summary
Mark Thompson told CNN staff he will remain chairman and editor in chief under Skydance, keeping the same responsibilities as the $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery closes this week.
Talks with David Ellison and other Skydance executives convinced Thompson they would back CNN's editorial independence and its digital subscription push; his current contract expires in the spring.
The decision eases anxiety inside CNN, where staff had worried about the new ownership structure and the possibility of reporting to CBS News chief Bari Weiss; Anderson Cooper had told colleagues he did not want to work for her.
Major integration questions remain, including how CNN would fit with Skydance-owned CBS News, where unionization, overlapping anchors and duplicate newsgathering operations could complicate any merger and lead to layoffs.
Those negotiations only accelerated after Paramount settled an antitrust case last week, creating an editorial independence board meant to protect CNN and CBS News under the combined company.