Ellison retains Thompson as CNN chief, unveils Skydance leadership team
WBD•Mark Thompson will remain CNN chief under the new Ellison-led Skydance company, which will take effect Tuesday after the $110 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. CBS News chief Bari Weiss will also keep her role.
1. News chiefs retain roles
CNN CEO Mark Thompson will continue as chairman and editor-in-chief under Skydance, and CBS News chief Bari Weiss will also remain in her role. Both will report to CEO David Ellison and newly appointed co-CEO Ynon Kreiz. Thompson told staff he would lead with the same responsibilities and prerogatives, while details of CNN’s operations in the new company have yet to be finalized.
2. Editorial independence questions
Thompson said he had “real confidence” the new leadership would support independent news. Skydance agreed to establish an editorial independence board overseeing CNN and CBS News as part of a settlement with 12 U.S. states and a Hollywood writers’ union. Skydance will appoint and pay the five members, but the settlement does not explicitly grant the board investigative powers or clarify whether its decisions will be binding.
3. Other appointments
Paramount operations chief Andy Gordon will become Skydance president, and finance chief Dennis Cinelli will remain in his role. HBO head Casey Bloys will become chief content officer for Skydance’s direct-to-consumer business, while George Cheeks will co-lead its television division. The appointments come as the companies face pressure on traditional television businesses as audiences and advertising shift toward streaming.
