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1h ago

Paramount Skydance Poised to Buy The Free Press and Install Bari Weiss as CBS News Editor in Chief

Reporting indicates Ellison intends a direct line of authority to reshape the network following merger approvals under FCC oversight.

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FILE – People walk by the CBS Broadcast Center on 57th Street in New York on April 20, 2023. CBS News has asked all of its local stations to become proficient in “solutions journalism,” a story-telling method that has taken off in the past decade to counter people who think reporters are obsessed with bad news. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)
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Overview

  • Multiple outlets report Paramount Skydance is nearing a deal to acquire The Free Press for about $150 million in a mix of cash and stock.
  • Bari Weiss is expected to be named CBS News editor in chief and to report directly to CEO David Ellison, bypassing the usual hierarchy.
  • The arrangement would give Weiss wide editorial influence despite her lack of broadcast-news management experience.
  • Sources say The Free Press would remain a standalone property owned by Paramount Skydance rather than being integrated into CBS News.
  • An announcement is described as imminent, potentially Monday, and the move follows the merger’s FCC conditions including an ombudsman appointment and Paramount’s $16 million settlement of a lawsuit by President Trump.