CBS News Chief Wendy McMahon Steps Down, Citing Conflicts With Paramount
Wendy McMahon, a TV executive who aggressively pushed CBS News and TV stations into new business operations and formats during a tumultuous era under parent company Paramount Global, said Monday she would step away from her role.
She is the second senior executive overseeing the company's news division to leave unexpectedly as Paramount pursues a settlement with President Donald Trump over a what many legal experts believe is a flimsy lawsuit alleging that the venerable newsmagazine '60 Minutes' tried to mislead voters with an interview of former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Bill Owens, the executive producer of '60 Minutes' announced his decision to leave last month, citing interference from the corporate parent.
More from Variety
'Big Brother' Season 27 Sets July Premiere Date, Launches Friday Night 'Unlocked' Segment With Returning All-Stars
'Beyond the Gates' Renewed for Season 2 at CBS
CBS Takes a Pre-Upfront Victory Lap
'It's become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward,' McMahon said in a memo to staffers Monday. 'It's time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership. I have spent the last few months shoring up our businesses and making sure the right leaders are in place; and I have no doubt they will continue to set the standard.'
CBS, which spent a lot of time organizing its stations, national news and syndication businesses under a large corporate role, does not seem inclined to replace McMahon at present. In a separate note, George Cheeks, the Paramount co-CEO who directly oversees the CBS operations, said he would oversee Tom Cibrowski, recently named head of CBS News; Jennifer Mitchell, who now heads CBS Stations. CBS Media Ventures executives Scott Trupchak, who heads advertising sales, and John Budkins, who oversees programming and production, will report to Bryon Rubin, CBS' CFO and chief operating officer.
'In a rapidly changing world, Wendy and her teams have worked diligently to articulate a vision and lay a foundation that adapts our news operations for the future,' Cheeks said. 'This includes advancements in data journalism, community journalism, technology and centralizing editorial decisions to help teams move faster.'More to come….
Best of Variety
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Meghan Markle Shares Photos from Disneyland with Prince Harry and Kids Archie, 6, and Lili, 4: ‘Pure Joy'
Princess Lilibet celebrated her fourth birthday at Disneyland Meghan Markle shared an Instagram video of Prince Harry along with Lili and son Archie smiling during their family trip 'Thank you @disneyland for giving our family two days of pure joy!' she captioned the postMeghan Markle and Prince Harry are celebrating their daughter Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor's fourth birthday at the happiest place on earth! On Friday, June 6, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, shared a sweet video of herself, the Duke of Sussex, 40, and Prince Archie, 6, exploring Disneyland. 'Thank you @disneyland for giving our family two days of pure joy!,' Meghan captioned the Instagram post, set to Peggy Lee's 'It's a Good Day.' The video began with Lili wearing a sparkly blue baseball cap and a colorful sleeveless dress while holding her mom's hand as she led the way through the California theme park. Next was dad Harry following closely behind as the princess met a Disney Princess, before the family of four was photographed going up a log ride at Tiana's Bayou Adventure. Meghan looked back, flashing a huge smile while wearing Minnie Mouse ears as they prepared for the drop that faced them on the water ride. Other stops on their outing included a ride on Dumbo the Flying Elephant and a trip to see Star Wars troopers. Meghan posted photos of their food, which included corn dogs and pickle slices, but, of course, no birthday can be complete without a birthday cake! As the video continued, there was a photo of a Little Mermaid-themed cake with Princess Ariel and her undersea friend Sebastian. Additional highlights included a carousel ride with the siblings sitting together, roller coasters and walks throughout the park, which is currently celebrating its 70th anniversary. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Meghan added hearts over Lilibet and Archie's faces, as the mother of two has been adamant about keeping their faces out of the public eye for privacy reasons. "Our kids are young,' Meghan told CBS News Sunday Morning in August 2024. 'They're 3 and 5. They're amazing. But all you want to do as parents is protect them. And so, as we can see what's happening in the online space, we know that there's a lot of work to be done there, and we're just happy to be able to be a part of change for good." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Primary election 2025: Berks officials certify election results
Berks County election officials have finalized the tally of results from the primary election. During a special meeting Friday, the elections board voted unanimously to certify the vote totals and authorize the submission of the results to the secretary of the commonwealth. There is now a clear picture of which Democratic and Republican candidates will be on the November ballot for municipal, school, county and judicial races. In addition to those candidates who appeared on the primary ballot, nearly 100 candidates were added to the fall election through successful write-in campaigns. Independent and third-party candidates still have a chance to petition to be on the ballot before the lineup is finalized. Elections Director Anne Norton told the elections board that her term performed the required reviews and audits of the May 20 primary, finding no variations or discrepancies with the official tally. The official results of the election will be posted on the county elections website. Overall, just over 21% of registered Democrats and Republicans voted. Voter turnout was slightly lower than recent, similar elections. In the 2023 municipal primary, for example, turnout was about 24%. The elections board thanked the election services team as well as those who worked the polls and handled mail ballots for the hard work and long hours they put into making sure every vote was counted. 'A huge thank you to everyone involved,' Commissioner Michael Rivera said. Commissioner Dante Santoni Jr. also commended those who ran to represent their fellow residents in local positions. 'When you run for office it takes time away from other things,' he said. 'You stick your neck out for your community at all levels of government and I give kudos to everyone who participated in the democratic process.'
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
A Virginia Democrat hunts for votes in rural pockets where MAGA has strengthened its grip
CULPEPER, Va. (AP) — Democratic politics in rural Virginia are not of a bygone era, according to Abigail Spanberger. The former congressional representative, now the Democratic nominee in the race to be Virginia's next governor , posts videos online of herself sitting in a car on an interstate highway that goes up and down the Appalachian Mountains. She has toured a small, family-owned oyster shucking and packaging operation along a quiet boat haven on the northern neck of Virginia. And last month, the nominee held a news conference at a small pharmacy in an agrarian hamlet outside of Richmond. In 2020, Spanberger narrowly ran ahead of former President Joe Biden in her congressional district, and she posted her best results by comparison in rural counties that heavily favored President Donald Trump, including Nottoway, Powhatan, Amelia and Louisa, according to an Associated Press analysis. It's a challenge that might be growing more formidable with each passing election cycle. Trump made gains in those counties in 2024, data show, and Republicans think they have solidified a shift in their direction in rural areas. In Virginia, rural residents made up about 2 in 10 voters last November, according to AP VoteCast. About 6 in 10 small-town or rural voters voted for the Republican candidate in the last two presidential elections and the last two midterm congressional elections. Spanberger became the nominee when no other Democrats ran for governor. Her opponent in the general election, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears , was the only Republican who gathered enough signatures to qualify for the top of the GOP ticket, leaving both parties with no contested race at the top of their June 17 primary ballots. A spokesperson for Earle-Sears said in an email that Spanberger's efforts to portray herself as an advocate for small-town Virginians would fall short. 'Rural voters see right through the rhetoric,' said press secretary Peyton Vogel. 'Democrats consistently push policies that hurt energy jobs, raise costs, and grow Washington DC's overreach. That's not a winning message in communities that value freedom, faith, and hard work.' Still, Spanberger seems determined to campaign beyond known Democratic strongholds, vying to winnow down conservative votes in ruby-red parts of Virginia. From the rolling hills of the Piedmont, where Trump won last year by some 20 points, to the Roanoke valley out west, Spanberger is seeking voters in the districts where Democrats once were competitive but Republicans now rule. 'We have to show how we govern,' Spanberger said in explaining her messaging. 'And the governing isn't just standing up to Donald Trump. It is clear and consequential, right?' Last month, Spanberger sat in a booth by the window of Frost Cafe in downtown Culpeper, Virginia, in the Piedmont region between Washington and Charlottesville. As she drank her coffee in the small town that was once part of her congressional district, constituents tapped on the window, pressing their noses to the glass and making hearts with their hands. A young boy hid behind a newspaper stand, peeking up at Spanberger as if she were a celebrity. When his family began to walk away, he knocked on the window and waved. Spanberger's presence in Trump territory comes as Democrats have nationally shown renewed interest in small-town America, launching listening tours in Kentucky, courting Minnesota farmers and looking for other ways to connect. In some ways, rural Virginia feels like Spanberger's home turf. Once a member of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, she has built a legacy tethered to touring farms and strolling through small towns where everybody knows everybody. She focused on low-profile , bucolic-minded bills such as expanding broadband , which was incorporated into the bipartisan infrastructure law passed by Congress in 2021. She helped pass another law making it easier for farmers and forestry professionals to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Some analysts say Trump's pillaging of federal contracts and volatile tariffs have given Spanberger and the Democrats an opening. 'If you look at the trade, if you look at Trump's tariffs, those have a huge impact on the price of agricultural products,' said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. 'The potential reduction in Medicaid, that's another area where there's going to be a disproportionate impact on rural areas.' Cue Spanberger's eight-point plan to make healthcare coverage more affordable in Southwest Virginia, which was published just as Congress weighs a budget bill that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates could reduce the number of people with health care by 8.6 million over a decade . Neal Osborne, a Bristol councilman representing the nearly 18,000-person city along the border with Tennessee, said Medicaid expansion and healthcare are top of mind for many people there. He pointed out that 150 people showed up when Spanberger visited Bristol back in January. 'We are a Republican stronghold,' said Osborne, who already has endorsed the Democrat. 'But if you do 2% better with southwest Virginia, that could be your margin of victory in a statewide. ... I am willing to go on a limb to say she will be back in southwest between now and before the election.' It's a strategy Spanberger has tapped before. After winning a tea party district in 2018, which had been represented by Republicans for decades, the moderate Democrat made a point of working on behalf of conservative strongholds in her district. Her ability to connect with farmers, fishermen and agricultural interests helped her keep her seat for three terms. Michael Carter Jr., of Carter Farms, said he was one of those rural constituents. A Black farmer in Orange County, he said that while Spanberger was in office, there was a continual back-and-forth between her staff and his family, which has owned their farm since 1910. He and his father would see her staff at community events. Spanberger's office asked for his feedback on legislation, he said. It was a meaningful relationship he had with a politician, and that meant something to him. 'It's not always the case that small farmers or even African Americans really feel like we get our voices heard,' Carter said. ___ Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. ___ The Associated Press' women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
