CNN’s Mark Thompson announced Monday that he will be staying on as the network’s chairman and editor-in-chief after the $81 billion merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Bari Weiss, the editor-in-chief of CBS News who was hand-picked by Ellison last year and conducted bloodbath layoffs at “60 Minutes,” will remain in her current role, according to the press release.
Thompson will be reporting directly to Ellison, the chairman and chief executive of the combined company named Skydance, and his new co-CEO, Ynon Kreiz, who previously ran Mattel, according to a press release.
“Having now spoken to them [Skydance executives] at length on the topic, I have real confidence that they both understand and will fully support the principle and practice of the kind of independent news that CNN has always stood for,” Thompson wrote in a memo to employees.
“I know many of you have had trepidations about this moment. That’s understandable – indeed, as I’ve hinted before, I’ve had the odd moment or two myself!” he added. “But I want to say that on the eve of the acquisition of CNN by Paramount Skydance, I find myself in a very positive frame of mind.”
Thompson said in his memo that some of the “specifics of how CNN will plug into and operate in the new company have yet to be finalized” since the merger process is ongoing, but he will have “the same responsibilities and prerogatives that I have now.”
His current contract is due to expire in the spring, but he has been in talks with executives to renew his contract, the New York Times reported.
Weiss had initially been promised CNN when she took over CBS News, but that Ellison subsequently concluded “her current role is more than she can handle,” a person with knowledge of the situation told The Post.
The Post also reported that Weiss remains in the Ellisons’ good graces despite public backlash over her firing of “60 Minutes” legends and her hiring of unconventional correspondents and producers.
A source close to the situation said David’s father, Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison, who is largely backing the acquisition, “still loves Bari” and wants to keep her on, while another person said the company could eventually pivot to a single executive running both CNN and CBS News.
At the combined Skydance, Ellison will focus on the company’s long-term strategy and creative vision, while Kreiz will focus on the company’s day-to-day management and integration of the combined businesses, according to the press release.
Ellison, Kreiz and Andy Gordon, president of Skydance, will also all serve on the board of directors, with Ellison as chairman.
The massive media merger is slated to close Tuesday after reaching an antitrust settlement with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who organized a coalition of 12 lefty attorneys general who opposed the deal on fears it could raise prices, hurt workers and reduce film releases.
It included an agreement to install independent editorial boards to oversee CNN and CBS News, following concerns the Ellisons – close allies of President Trump – could sway the coverage on the storied networks.
Prior to joining CNN in 2023, Thompson served as president and chief executive of the New York Times, leading the news outlet’s digital transformation.
He said he will continue his work on CNN’s digital subscription business and that the company’s new leaders “are as excited about it as we are.”
