Paramount ousts CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon amid divide with management

CBS News Chief Executive Officer Wendy McMahon introduced Monday she is stepping down, the newest twist in a rising combat of wills between the corporate’s information department and Paramount Global controlling shareholder Shari Redstone.

Paramount Global co-CEO George Cheeks had a dialogue with McMahon Saturday and requested for her resignation, in step with other people acquainted with the topic. McMahon agreed to step down, and the Paramount Global board held a gathering Sunday at which participants have been made acutely aware of the verdict, in step with the ones other people, who spoke at the situation of anonymity to talk about inner issues.

Spokespeople for McMahon, Paramount Global and CBS News declined to remark.

“The past few months have been challenging. It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward. It’s time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership,” McMahon wrote in her resignation letter to workers.

In contemporary weeks, Paramount Global’s board had put expanding drive on Cheeks and McMahon to grasp explicit information about “60 Minutes” programming forward of its air date in a divergence from how the display operated prior to now, in step with other people acquainted with the topic. Veteran “60 Minutes” government manufacturer Bill Owens resigned closing month, bringing up Paramount Global’s higher scrutiny on his journalistic independence.

“Our parent company Paramount is trying to complete a merger,” “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley mentioned on-air on the finish of an episode closing month after Owens resigned. “The Trump administration must approve it. Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways. None of our stories has been blocked, but Bill felt he had lost the independence that honest journalism requires.”

“60 Minutes” aired its ultimate episode of the season on Sunday. It would possibly not have reside episodes once more till September. McMahon felt she needed to battle to even get “60 Minutes” to air in any respect in contemporary weeks, given the board’s choice that sure tales now not run, in step with other people acquainted with her pondering.

McMahon was once appointed CEO in August 2023.

There have additionally been a number of issues of hysteria between McMahon and Redstone in contemporary months, together with CBS’s protection of the Israeli-Palestinian war and a possible “60 Minutes” agreement with the Trump management over the modifying of an October interview with then-presidential candidate and previous U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. Privately, Redstone has criticized McMahon for “fairness and balance” problems, in step with other people acquainted with Redstone’s pondering.

Redstone has additionally been unsatisfied with McMahon’s management and the efficiency of CBS News from a industry point of view, in step with other people acquainted with Redstone’s pondering.

Another level of competition between the federal company and the corporate is company range projects, The Wall Street Journal reported closing month. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has publicly recommended media firms to curb range, fairness and inclusion systems.

In February, Paramount mentioned it will finish its DEI insurance policies, bringing up an government order by means of President Donald Trump that banned the practices.

In October, she publicly criticized McMahon’s choice to reprimand CBS News morning anchor Tony Dokoupil over an interview with creator Ta-Nehisi Coates. CBS News mentioned Dokoupil had violated editorial requirements when the host driven Coates on why he did not come with extra of Israel’s point of view on Palestine throughout the interview. Redstone mentioned CBS News made a “bad mistake.”

“I think Tony did a great job with that interview,” Redstone mentioned in October throughout a panel at Advertising Week New York.