Latest news with #BillOwens
Fox News
14 hours ago
- Business
- Fox News
'60 Minutes' reporter Lesley Stahl says she's angry with CBS' Shari Redstone over Trump lawsuit
Longtime CBS journalist Lesley Stahl admitted she was "angry" with Paramount Global chairwoman Shari Redstone over how things are being handled over President Donald Trump's lawsuit against the network on Friday. The "60 Minutes" reporter discussed the ongoing lawsuit and its effects on her program on The New Yorker Radio Hour podcast. She reflected on top producer Bill Owens stepping down in what she called a "painful" experience after he claimed that he was being restrained by the network on what stories to produce. After CBS News president Wendy McMahon's abrupt resignation, she called the situation at the network "hard" and partially blamed Redstone for putting pressure on them in what appears to be an appeasement to the Trump administration. "To have a news organization come under corporate pressure—to have a news organization told by a corporation, 'do this, do that with your story, change this, change that, don't run that piece.' I mean, it steps on the First Amendment, it steps on the freedom of the press," Stahl said. "It steps on what we stand for. It makes me question whether any corporation should own a news operation. It is very disconcerting." Still, she declined to use the word "turmoil" to describe the situation, although she revealed there was consideration for journalists to leave "en masse" after Owens' resignation. Stahl added that there's a sense of "fragility" in the press now thanks to things like Trump's "frivolous lawsuit" and a lack of trust in the media. "The pain in my heart is that the public does not appreciate the importance of a free and strong and tough press in our democracy," Stahl said. "Even the Founding Fathers recognized that we need to have a strong fourth estate to hold our elected officials accountable, and to continue to cleanse the system. The public doesn't seem to want what we do to be part of our public life." She predicted Paramount Global, CBS' parent company, will ultimately settle with Trump to complete a merger with Skydance Media. If that were to occur, she hoped that the new owners would "hold the freedom of the press up as a beacon." The interview was recorded before news broke on Friday about Trump rejecting a $15 million settlement for his $20 billion lawsuit. Fox News Digital confirmed that the president's team is demanding at least $25 million and an apology from CBS News. Last October, Trump sued CBS News and Paramount for $10 billion over allegations of election interference involving the "60 Minutes" interview of then-Vice President Kamala Harris that aired weeks before the presidential election (the amount has since jumped to $20 billion). The lawsuit alleges CBS News deceitfully edited an exchange Harris had with "60 Minutes" correspondent Bill Whitaker, who asked her why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn't "listening" to the Biden administration. Harris was widely mocked for the "word salad" answer that aired in a preview clip of the interview on "Face the Nation." However, when the same question aired during a primetime special on the network, Harris had a different, more concise response. Critics at the time accused CBS News of deceitfully editing Harris' "word salad" answer to shield the Democratic nominee from further backlash leading up to Election Day. Stahl denied there was any effort to make Harris look better and that the network simply aired two different halves of the answer. She claimed the lawsuit is being made only to intimidate them. "What is really behind it, in a nutshell, is [an effort] to chill us. There aren't any damages. I mean, he accused us of editing Kamala Harris in a way to help her win the election. But he won the election," Stahl said. Fox News Digital reached out to CBS and Paramount Global for a comment.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
California Senate Launches Paramount-Trump Settlement Talks Investigation, Invites Bill Owens and Wendy McMahon to Testify
The California State Senate has launched an investigation into Paramount Global's ongoing discussions with President Donald Trump to settle his $20 billion lawsuit against CBS. In a Friday letter, the state's lawmakers invited former '60 Minutes' executive producer Bill Owens and former CBS News president Wendy McMahon to testify as part of an investigation into Paramount's settlement discussions with President Donald Trump over his $20 billion lawsuit against the program's Oct. 7 interview with former vice president Kamala Harris. 'Your recent resignations from CBS's leadership, amid public reports of internal concern about the editorial and ethical implications of the proposed settlement, suggest that you may possess important, first-hand knowledge relevant to our legislative oversight responsibilities,' the joint letter from its Energy, Utilities & Communications committee chair Josh Becker and Judiciary committee chair Thomas Umberg states. 'If Paramount is entertaining a settlement primarily to secure favorable regulatory treatment, this raises deeply troubling implications not just for journalism, but for the rule of law and the integrity of corporate governance.' The committees are seeking information from the pair on whether newsroom staff raised internal objections to the settlement or its motivations, whether any editorial decisions were impacted or overridden, whether internal counsel or leadership acknowledged the weakness of the lawsuit's claims and whether anyone within the company indicated that the settlement may be 'advantageous or necessary' in order to influence the regulatory review of the pending $8 billion Skydance merger. The lawmakers argue that a settlement to clear regulatory approval of the Skydance deal could constitute a violation of federal anti-bribery laws, an infraction of California's unfair competition law, a breach of fiduciary duties owed by Paramount board members to shareholders and the misuse of corporate funds vulnerable to shareholder derivative litigation. 'These issues go beyond internal policy,' the letter states. 'They have real legal exposure for Paramount and its board of directors, including Ms. Shari Redstone, Ms. Barbara Byrne, Ms. Judith McHale, Ms. Linda Griego, and Ms. Susan Schuman.' They also said it could have a 'potential chilling effect' on investigative and political journalism, signaling 'politically motivated lawsuits can succeed when paired with regulatory threats.' 'It would damage public trust in CBS News and other California-based outlets, diminishing the state's stature as a national leader in ethical journalism. Paramount's capitulation would also undermine two essential pillars of a liberal democracy: a free press and an impartial, rule-of-law regulatory system,' the letter continues. The California State Senate noted that while the invite is a voluntary request, they retain full subpoena authority under California law should additional testimony or documentation become necessary during its investigation. 'We respectfully encourage you to participate in this important hearing,' the letter concluded. 'Your cooperation will help safeguard the values you have each worked to uphold in your distinguished careers.' Representatives for Paramount declined to comment on the letter. Owens resigned from '60 Minutes' in April, telling staff in a memo that he lost the ability to make independent decisions as the network. Meanwhile, McMahon resigned earlier this month, saying in a memo to staff that 'it's become clear the company and I do not agree on the path forward.' She described the tension between herself and Paramount as 'challenging.' Though neither referenced the Trump lawsuit directly, both executives had previously expressed opposition to a settlement. The lawsuit takes aim at the news program's Oct. 7 interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris, which Trump has said was deceptively edited to make her look good. CBS News has maintained that Trump's accusations of deceitful editing were false, explaining that the promo shown on 'Face the Nation' used a longer section of Harris' answer. It also turned over the transcript and camera footage from the interview to the FCC as part of the agency's investigation into allegations of 'news distortion.' In a March filing to dismiss the Trump suit, CBS called it 'an affront to the First Amendment' and 'without basis in law or fact.' In a Wednesday legal filing asking the court to deny Paramount's motion to dismiss, Trump's attorneys claimed that the interview caused him 'mental anguish and confusion.' They also said that 'viewers withheld attention from President Trump and Truth Social,' his social media platform, due to the 'false advertising and tampering' tied to the Harris interview, resulting in a decrease in value for Trump Media and Technology Group and his other media holdings. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump recently shot down Paramount's offer to settle the lawsuit for $15 million, with the president aiming to get at least $25 million and an apology. The Paramount-Skydance merger, which is subject to regulatory approval from the FCC due to a required transfer of broadcast licenses of Paramount's 28 owned-and-operated local TV stations, recently triggered its first automatic 90-day extension after failing to close by April 7. FCC chairman Brendan Carr has argued that the settlement talks with Trump are unrelated to the agency's review of the Skydance deal. But he has warned that 'all options remain on the table' in the agency's ongoing investigation into alleged 'news distortion,' including potentially revoking CBS' broadcast license if the network is found to have violated the agency's public interest standard. He has also previously threatened to block M&A for companies who embrace diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and is reportedly seeking concessions in the Paramount-Skydance deal. Paramount's settlement talks come as Disney previously paid $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit Donald Trump brought against ABC News and star anchor George Stephanopoulos. Meta also paid $25 million to settle Trump's lawsuit about being kicked off Facebook and Instagram after the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The post California Senate Launches Paramount-Trump Settlement Talks Investigation, Invites Bill Owens and Wendy McMahon to Testify appeared first on TheWrap.
Washington Post
22-05-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
CBS News staffers see leader's departure as a sign of Trump settlement
Before the resignation of their top boss this week, CBS News staffers had already been bracing themselves for their network to settle the $20 billion lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the network's editing of a '60 Minutes' interview with Kamala Harris. In April, CBS's parent company, Paramount, began mediation with Trump's representatives, even as some of the network's leaders internally opposed a deal, which controlling shareholder Shari Redstone had urged. Paramount is seeking government approval to merge with another entertainment conglomerate, SkyDance Media, and a settlement is seen internally as a way to ease that process. On Monday morning, one of the leaders who has opposed a deal, Wendy McMahon, abruptly announced her resignation from the company, telling employees that she and corporate management 'do not agree on the path forward.' Now many staffers at the network are viewing McMahon's departure as further proof that a settlement is imminent, particularly coming after the resignation last month of '60 Minutes' executive producer Bill Owens, who also opposed a deal. 'As soon as it was announced that Wendy was leaving, the general mood was, 'Okay, this settlement is much closer than we thought,'' said a network staffer who, like the others who spoke with The Washington Post for this story, did so on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized by CBS News to comment. 'It really felt like she was another scalp following Bill Owens and maybe that is something that would appease Trump and his negotiators.' 'It's getting rid of the people … pushing against a settlement to ease the process,' said one producer at the network. McMahon's tenure as president and CEO of CBS News and Stations was not without blemishes. Under her watch, the network retooled its evening news show in late January to de-emphasize shorter news updates in favor of longer enterprise segments; rather than winning new viewers, the show has lost more of them. While many staffers at the network oppose a settlement with Trump, there's a broad expectation that it will happen. 'We understand that a settlement will be made,' the first CBS News staffer said. 'We also understand that an apology [to Trump] is likely. We also understand that in doing so, CBS News will be very badly damaged.' 'People feel weird about it and don't think we should be capitulating to any administration like that,' said a third network staffer. CBS employee Stephen Colbert, the host of the network's late-night show, on Tuesday night poked fun at Paramount, 'his beloved parent conglomerate,' about a potential settlement. 'Ladies and gentlemen, I am a proud company man,' he said. 'I love who I work for, and I will stand up against these scurrilous accusations that Paramount is engaged in corporate and political malfeasance. For the low price of $50 million.' A Paramount spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment about whether McMahon's departure affects the settlement discussions. In February, Redstone told Paramount's board of directors that she supports a settlement — though her personal spokesperson told The Post she has recused herself from those discussions. That hasn't stopped several senators who have urged Redstone against a settlement. On Monday, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) sent a letter to Redstone cautioning Paramount against any action that could constitute bribery — namely, handing over millions of dollars to the president in exchange for the approval of a merger. 'If Paramount officials make these concessions in a quid pro quo arrangement to influence President Trump or other Administration officials, they may be breaking the law,' wrote the senators, who also questioned whether Paramount's shareholders could sue the company over a deal. But neither internal opposition nor howls of protest from Capitol Hill seem likely to deter a deal, even though there is no guarantee that a settlement would ensure approval of the deal by the Federal Communications Commission. In December, Disney-owned ABC settled a lawsuit filed by Trump for $16 million — but the president continues to inveigh against the network on social media, and his handpicked FCC chair, Brendan Carr, has opened an investigation into the company's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices. In the event of a settlement, some CBS News staffers may opt to leave the network in protest. But it's an extremely challenging market for TV jobs, at a time when many networks are contracting. 'Not everybody has the luxury of walking away,' said Rene Syler, who spent four years co-hosting a morning show for CBS News. 'It's easy sometimes to stand on principle when that principle is resting on a pile of cash.' One person who has discouraged CBS journalists from quitting in protest is '60 Minutes' correspondent Scott Pelley, who called out Paramount on air last month for encroaching on the show's work as it 'is trying to complete a merger.' Pelley, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation who were not authorized to comment, argued to colleagues that the show's mission is too important to leave.
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Why is Trump suing CBS? What to know about complaint dating back to Kamala Harris interview
Why is Trump suing CBS? What to know about complaint dating back to Kamala Harris interview Show Caption Hide Caption '60 Minutes' producer Bill Owens resigns over editorial concerns Executive producer of CBS News' '60 Minutes,' Bill Owens, has stepped down from his role, citing concerns over editorial and journalistic independence. unbranded - Entertainment The president and CEO of CBS News resigned from her position, the latest in an ongoing legal tussle between the network and President Donald Trump that started back in the 2024 presidential campaign. Wendy McMahon told staff in a memo she was leaving because she had disagreed with the company, according to Reuters. CBS News is facing a $20 billion lawsuit from Trump over how it edited his former opponent Kamala Harris' answer to a question on the U.S.-Israeli relationship in an October 2025 interview on "60 Minutes." Trump has long railed against the media, and the lawsuit against CBS is playing out amid several pushes from the administration that are alarming press freedom advocates. Here is what to know about the lawsuit. Can I still tune in to PBS and NPR? What to know after Trump's order to cut funding Why is Trump suing CBS News? Trump first filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the network in October over allegations that it deceptively edited a '60 Minutes' interview with former Vice President Harris, his Democratic Party opponent in the presidential election. Trump raised the claim for damages to $20 billion in February, according to Reuters. CBS has repeatedly denied the accusations, and legal experts have told the New York Times the lawsuit is 'baseless.' The lawsuit entered mediation last month, signaling that CBS's parent company Paramount Global could choose to settle, raising concerns over how that may embolden the administration's increasingly aggressive stance toward major media organizations, the New York Times reported. Wendy McMahon departure follows Bill Owens' departure McMahon's exit follows the departure of longtime "60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens in April. Owens, who announced he would leave the venerated show at the end of the season, cited concerns about editorial independence, according to a memo seen by Reuters. Owens said it had 'become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it,' according to a note to staffers, CBS reported. Did CBS News edit Kamala Harris' '60 Minutes' interview? Yes. It is standard practice among news outlets to edit to fit time or space constraints, experts previously told USA TODAY. During a teaser clip for the interview on Oct. 6 on 'Face the Nation' when Bill Whitaker asks Harris about the U.S.-Israeli relationship, viewers see a different video response from the vice president than on the subsequent '60 Minutes' broadcast on Oct. 7. Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@ Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chief executive of CBS News stepping down amid tense Trump legal battle
The president and chief executive officer of CBS News announced on Monday that she is stepping down, citing disagreements with the network's parent company as it confronts a $20bn lawsuit from Donald Trump and a looming merger. Wendy McMahon, who has helmed the company's venerated news division since 2023, said in a memo obtained by several media outlets – and shared in full on social media – that 'it's become clear the company and I do not agree on the path forward'. Tensions have been building over the past few months, a period McMahon described as 'challenging'. Related: Trump complains the US media aren't bending to his will. Aren't they? 'It's time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership,' McMahon wrote in the memo. In November, Trump filed a $20bn lawsuit against 60 Minutes, CBS News's flagship program, over an election season interview with his 2024 Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, which he claimed was deceptively edited. Legal experts have called the lawsuit baseless and argued that CBS would almost certainly prevail. But Paramount is reportedly in talks to settle with Trump, as it pursues a merger with Skydance Media, a deal that would require federal approval. In April, Bill Owens, the longtime executive producer of 60 Minutes, announced his resignation, saying he felt the newsmagazine had lost its journalistic independence. McMahon reportedly stood by Owens, who said in the departing memo shared widely on social media: 'Having defended this show – and what we stand for – from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward.' Underscoring the building tensions in the newsroom, the 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley addressed Owens's departure and delivered an extraordinary on-air rebuke of Paramount. 'Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways,' he told viewers. 'None of our stories has been blocked, but Bill felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires.' The network has maintained Trump's lawsuit is without merit but is nevertheless seeking to settle as Paramount pursues the merger with Skydance. If it goes through, the Skydance deal would include a $2.4bn payout for the family holding of Paramount Global's chair, Shari Redstone, Bloomberg News reported. Related: Trump v 60 Minutes is a stunning battle for the soul of US media Many are worried that Paramount's settling Trump's lawsuit would continue a trend since the beginning of his second presidency in which companies and a university have surrendered to his demands to avoid punishments such as losing federal funding or access to federal buildings. Notably, law firms agreed to perform $940m in pro bono work for the Trump administration and to not consider race in hiring, among other concessions. ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos separately agreed to give $15m to a foundation and museum to be established by Trump to settle a lawsuit over an interview in which the host said a jury had found the president 'liable for rape', when in fact Trump had been found liable of sexual assault.
