Latest news with #Cheeks
Dominion Post
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Dominion Post
WVU football recruit SirPaul Cheeks already well known
MORGANTOWN — There are a couple of names in college football that are memorable not for their performance, but just for their name alone. Some make the fan-made all-name teams, and West Virginia could have one of their own coming to Morgantown soon. A week ago, West Virginia received a commitment from 2026 running back SirPaul Cheeks, from Chesterfield, Va. Some say Cheek's name sounds like a name from the Key and Peele East/West College Bowl skit, but it's not. Cheeks is the newest addition to the 2026 class. Cheeks isn't the only name tagged to the new back. The running back also goes by the nickname 'Jesus in Cleats,' which is high praise for the high schooler. According to his X account, Cheeks runs a 4.37 40-yard dash, ranking 11th in this year's NFL Combine and second among running backs, so he is fast. Cheeks' name and nickname have already caught national attention. A couple of days after his commitment, ESPN and former WVU player Pat McAfee introduced Cheeks to College GameDay co-host Kirk Herbstreit, during McAfee's show. 'SirPaul Cheeks,' McAfee said. 'You are going to learn today, Kirk. West Virginia got a commitment from SirPaul Cheeks. Jesus in cleats.' 'Where is he from?' Herbstreit asked. 'He's from f——- football god,' McAfee replied. Experts don't think the same of Cheeks, and he doesn't have the highest rating. Cheeks is a composite three-star prospect and ranked as the 54th-best running back in the 2026 class. Cheeks is the 24th-ranked player in Virginia. Cheeks has promising stats from last year to back up his nickname, though. His junior year, Cheeks had 1,495 all-purpose yards, 18 touchdowns, three pick-6s, 900 rushing yards on 38 carries and 265 receiving yards. Kentucky, Buffalo, Appalachian State and Ball State liked what they saw and offered him, too. He can do it all on both sides of the ball but will play running back in college. Rich Rodriguez said earlier this spring that two-way players might be more present in college football, with the shrunken rosters, so it's not out of the question that he plays more than just running back. 'You still may need to have a few guys that maybe can go both ways,' Rodriguez said. 'I think you'll see a little more of that. I know Travis Hunter did it at Colorado.' Cheeks could be the future of Rodriguez's offense. Rodriguez's offense is run-heavy and tempo, so a running back that can do it all should have success. However, Cheeks is on the smaller side at 5-foot-9, but he has some time to put on some size since he's just a high schooler. Rodriguez's starting running back this year, Jahiem White, is only 5-foot-7 and 192 pounds, so Cheeks shouldn't have an issue. Cheeks will have to compete for the starting role one day. In just his class alone, there are two other running backs, fellow 3-star prospects Christopher Talley, who's also 5-foot-9, and Jett Walker. Cheeks is ranked higher than those two, and rated as the fourth-best player in WVU's 2026 class, which consists of 25 pledges. It'll be interesting to see how Cheeks pans out and if he stays committed to WVU. There will be WVU fans pulling for him just because of his name alone. 'All I can tell you is if Rich Rod recruited him, he's a great player,' Herbstreit said. 'There's a new era in Morgantown, and I am officially on the bandwagon.'
New York Post
02-07-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Paramount CEO claims Trump legal settlement avoided 'reputational damage' -- but insiders cry BS
Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks on Wednesday insisted the $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump to squash his $20 billion lawsuit saved the company from 'reputational damage.' But network insiders weren't buying it. They slammed parent company Paramount's capitulation over the controversial '60 Minutes' interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris and said the brand has already been tarnished. Advertisement 7 George Cheeks, co-CEO of Paramount and head of CBS, insisted the company's settlement with Trump saved it from 'reputational damage' but insiders weren't buying it. Getty Images for Paramount+ 'What the f-k is he talking about? The damage has already been done,' a veteran CBS journalist told The Post on Wednesday. 'Trump has trashed them for what a year now? (Cheeks) can spin it any way he wants.' A second CBS insider lamented: 'It's a sad day for the journalistic community. The reputational damage to '60 Minutes' is seismic.' Advertisement Cheeks, the CEO of CBS and part of the three-headed hydra running Paramount, spoke hours after the media giant agreed late Tuesday night to to pay Trump $16 million — the same amount ABC forked over to the president in December to settle a defamation suit. On a conference call during the company's annual shareholders meeting, Cheeks said the move helped CBS avoid a costly legal battle and 'an adverse' judgment that could produce 'significant financial as well as reputational damage.' The network will also set aside another $15 million to $20 million for public service announcements in support of conservative causes in the future, sources told The Post's Charles Gasparino on Wednesday. 7 Paramount settled Trump's suit over CBS' '60 Minutes' interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. 60 Minutes / CBS Advertisement Aside from the financial hit, the settlement in the lawsuit, filed in Texas last December, will also force the network to promptly release full, unedited transcripts of future presidential candidates' interviews — referred to as the 'Trump Rule,' sources told The Post. However, CBS was able to squirm out of having to apologize over Trump's allegation that '60 Minutes' deceptively edited the Harris sit-down weeks before the election to make her sound more coherent — a hot button issue that has roiled the network. 'There's 16 million apologies in the settlement. Trump got two heads. He got Bill Owens' head and he got Wendy McMahon's head and he got $16 million,' one of the network insiders said. 7 Trump walked away with $16 million, as well as dedicated PSAs from CBS and a pledge from the network to release raw transcripts of presidential candidates going forward. AP Advertisement Owens, the longtime executive producer of '60 Minutes' resigned in April, citing a loss of journalistic independence as Paramount was embroiled in settlement talks with Trump. His former boss, CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon, stepped down a month later, saying it became 'clear' that she and the company didn't agree on a 'path forward.' Another CBS source with knowledge of the situation credited Cheeks for moving past this dark chapter in the Tiffany Network's history and helping to clear a major hurdle for Paramount's pending $8 billion merger with independent studio Skydance Media. 7 '60 Minutes' boss Bill Owens resigned in April, citing a loss of journalistic independence as Paramount was embroiled in settlement talks with Trump. Variety via Getty Images Cheeks is expected to take a leadership role at the company once the Skydance deal goes through. 'George did what he had to do to get the merger done,' the source said. 'He was told he had to clean house in leadership. He was told he needed to change the editorial policy. Sacrifices had to be made to get the lawsuit settled and George made them. The money is just part of the story.' CBS will not have to acknowledge any journalistic wrongdoing with the settlement. 'The settlement will include a release of all claims regarding any CBS reporting through the date of the settlement, including the Texas action and the threatened defamation action,' Paramount said in a statement. Advertisement 7 CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon exited the company in May, saying it became 'clear' that she and the company didn't agree on a 'path forward.' Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Attention will now turn to the Federal Communications Commission. Trump-appointed chair Brendan Carr launched a probe into whether the network violated the agency's 'news distortion' policy after a conservative group filed a complaint over the alleged deceptive editing. Shari Redstone, Paramount's controlling shareholder, is poised to walk away with about $1.75 billion if the merger is approved. Sources speculated that with the lawsuit behind Paramount, the merger will get regulatory approval in the coming weeks. Advertisement 7 Paramount Global owner Shari Redstone stands to walk away with nearly $2 billion once the merger with Skydance is completed. FilmMagic 'I think Shari Redstone and George Cheeks are wiping their hands of CBS News,' one of the sources said. 'The new owners are inheriting a greatly diminished asset.' A rep for Paramount said: 'This lawsuit is completely separate from, and unrelated to, the Skydance transaction and the FCC approval process. We will abide by the legal process to defend our case.' Advertisement Redstone, 71, may be leaving her media empire, but she will be rewarded with some of the trappings of her high-flying life 7 Sources said they believe CBS News and '60 Minutes,' in particular, have been tarnished by Paramount's legal settlement with the president. Christopher Sadowski Skydance and its investor in the deal, RedBird Capital Partners, agreed to take on National Amusements' financial obligations and pay for the remainder of Redstone's lease for her private jet, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Hollywood production company also will cover the expenses for her Central Park-area apartment in New York City for the next few years, according to reports. Advertisement The merger between Skydance and Paramount has been a prolonged process with both sides finally agreeing to a deal last June after fits and starts.
Axios
19-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon steps down
CBS News and Stations president and CEO Wendy McMahon on Monday announced she is stepping down from her role, according to a memo sent to staff from Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks. McMahon also oversaw CBS Media Ventures, the network's syndication unit. Why it matters: Her resignation comes as CBS' parent company Paramount considers settling a $20 billion lawsuit from President Trump over a segment on "60 Minutes." Zoom in: No new executives are directly replacing McMahon, according to Cheeks' memo. On the news side, CBS News president Tom Cibrowski and CBS Stations president Jennifer Mitchell will each report directly to Cheeks moving forward. On the syndication side, CBS' ad sales and programming leads, Scott Trupchak and John Budkins, will now report to Bryon Rubin, CBS' chief operating officer and CFO. McMahon will stay on with the companies for a "few weeks to support the transition," Cheeks wrote. Catch up quick: McMahon joined CBS as president and co-head of CBS News in 2021 from ABC. She split the role with Neeraj Khemlani who stepped down from his position in 2023. After Khemlani's departure, McMahon was named the sole president and CEO of CBS News Stations and CBS Media Ventures. The big picture: Under McMahon, CBS News expanded its streaming efforts and rejiggered its primetime lineup. But those editorial changes were at times overshadowed by controversies around the company's coverage.
Mint
15-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
The executive in the middle of Paramount's Trump storm
Paramount Global executive George Cheeks has spent more than three decades dealing with some of the entertainment industry's most challenging personalities and trying tasks. Now he faces his stiffest test. Cheeks is helping to negotiate a settlement of President Trump's $20 billion lawsuit against Paramount's CBS News. Paramount's controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, sees a resolution as necessary to cementing her merger deal with Skydance Media, but it is strongly opposed by CBS News staffers and executives. Hanging in the balance are the $8 billion merger of Paramount and Skydance—which needs the approval of the Federal Communications Commission—and the reputation of CBS News. For Cheeks, it is a high-wire act. In addition to the lawsuit, Cheeks, who runs CBS while helming Paramount with two other executives, has been dealing with Redstone's complaints about CBS News's coverage of Israel's war against Hamas. He is now trying to calm nerves at CBS News after a longtime '60 Minutes" executive producer resigned over corporate oversight. Adding to the challenges, Paramount's business is under pressure. Advertisers are reducing spending due to concerns about the economy. After laying off thousands of employees last year, the company is preparing another round of job cuts as soon as next month that would save hundreds of millions of dollars in costs, according to people familiar with the situation. Yet if anyone can keep his footing in such precarious circumstances, Cheeks's supporters say, it is the former entertainment lawyer, who has steered television networks through a rapidly changing media landscape while overcoming thorny issues and pleasing big egos. 'I do not know how he manages all he oversees and always has a smile on his face despite whatever noise is going on," CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach said. Cheeks dismissed questions about settlement talks during a recent event promoting CBS's upcoming prime-time lineup, saying 'I appreciate the try, but I have had no tequila today." He acknowledged the network faced challenges and said he was focused on supporting his team. 'For me, what's important as a leader is how you show up in a difficult time," he said. His biggest goal was making sure everyone is 'locking arms and saying, 'We're a team, we're a family, we're going to get through this together.' " Cheeks declined to comment for this article. Trump's lawsuit alleges '60 Minutes" deceitfully edited an interview with Kamala Harris, who was then the Democratic presidential candidate. Cheeks has played a role in settlement talks. The sides, which are also in mediation, have been tens of millions of dollars apart, The Wall Street Journal reported. The prospect of a settlement has angered many CBS news staff, who say the editing of the interview by '60 Minutes" was typical and showed a different part of the answer to the same question. Some of the staff also criticize Cheeks for going too far accommodating Redstone's complaints that CBS News coverage of the war with Hamas has displayed an anti-Israel bias. Redstone is the daughter of the late media titan Sumner Redstone. After she and Jewish groups criticized a '60 Minutes" story about the Biden administration's response to the war in Gaza, Cheeks in January named former CBS News President Susan Zirinsky as executive editor in charge of vetting stories and checking for bias. Redstone pushed for the hire, people familiar with the matter said. Zirinsky, who is close to Redstone, was an executive producer of 'We Will Dance Again," a recent documentary about the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on an Israeli music festival. Her assignment undercut '60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens, some CBS News staff said, because he has long had an antagonistic relationship with Zirinsky. Owens resigned last month, citing a loss of editorial control of the show to corporate oversight. People close to Cheeks and '60 Minutes" said he has preserved the show's editorial independence and none of its stories have been altered or softened. When he joined NBCUniversal in 2012 as a late-night business-affairs executive, Cheeks formed a close bond with Lorne Michaels, the powerful creator of 'Saturday Night Live," who is known for being wary of network 'suits" and their requests. Cheeks won Michaels over by not coming across as a corporate type, there to look over his shoulder and scrutinize every last item on his budgets, Michaels said. 'He cared about the shows and the people who did the shows," Michaels said in an interview, and he understood 'our end of the business, which was not something NBC knew much about." Some network executives, however, said Cheeks catered too much to Michaels. Cheeks played a key role in the lucrative 2015 NBCU deal to acquire reruns of 'Saturday Night Live" from Michaels for between $250 million and $300 million, people familiar with the pact said. Lorne Michaels, the creator of 'Saturday Night Live,' had a close bond with George Cheeks after the executive joined NBCUniversal in 2012. Michaels said Cheeks wasn't a pushover. 'He was tough when he had to be," he said. 'He was a fan of the show without being a sycophant or star-struck." With Michaels advocating for him, Cheeks climbed the ladder at NBCU, eventually becoming co-chairman of NBC Entertainment. Cheeks's rise at the company halted in 2020, when NBC movie boss Jeff Shell was also given oversight of NBC Entertainment. Shell moved Cheeks to vice chair of NBCU Content Studios, which some staff saw as a demotion. At the staff meeting outlining the restructuring, Cheeks broke down in tears and pounded a table, saying while he understood this was what was best for the company it still hurt, people who attended the meeting said. Cheeks took the helm of CBS a few months later. There, he is known for working through tropical vacations and has drawn praise for maintaining CBS's solid prime-time lineup and holding on to the network's important sports deals, including with the NFL. Cheeks greenlighted such CBS hits as 'Ghosts," 'Tracker" and this season's successful 'Matlock." Yet Paramount rolled back the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that Cheeks had pushed, such as directing that half of the casts of unscripted shows be Black, indigenous or people of color and assigning a quarter of its development budget toward Bipoc creators and producers. The FCC has been examining Paramount's commitment to abstain from such diversity initiatives as part of its review of the Skydance merger, The Wall Street Journal has reported. Cheeks is one of three co-CEOs of Paramount along with movie studio head Brian Robbins and cable network chief Chris McCarthy. He has taken a leadership role among the three CEOs preparing the company for the Skydance takeover, including making sure Paramount promptly answers Skydance's information requests, people familiar with the situation said. After the combination is finished, Cheeks is expected to take a senior position at Skydance, people familiar with the matter said. He isn't expected to report to Shell, the former NBC executive who had sidelined Cheeks and who will become Skydance president. Write to Joe Flint at and Jessica Toonkel at
Wall Street Journal
15-05-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
The Executive in the Middle of Paramount's Trump Storm
Paramount Global executive George Cheeks has spent more than three decades dealing with some of the entertainment industry's most challenging personalities and trying tasks. Now he faces his stiffest test. Cheeks is helping to negotiate a settlement of President Trump's $20 billion lawsuit against Paramount's CBS PARA -1.50%decrease; red down pointing triangle News. Paramount's controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, sees a resolution as necessary to cementing her merger deal with Skydance Media, but it is strongly opposed by CBS News staffers and executives. Hanging in the balance are the $8 billion merger of Paramount and Skydance—which needs the approval of the Federal Communications Commission—and the reputation of CBS News. For Cheeks, it is a high-wire act. In addition to the lawsuit, Cheeks, who runs CBS while helming Paramount with two other executives, has been dealing with Redstone's complaints about CBS News's coverage of Israel's war against Hamas. He is now trying to calm nerves at CBS News after a longtime '60 Minutes' executive producer resigned over corporate oversight. Adding to the challenges, Paramount's business is under pressure. Advertisers are reducing spending due to concerns about the economy. After laying off thousands of employees last year, the company is preparing another round of job cuts as soon as next month that would save hundreds of millions of dollars in costs, according to people familiar with the situation. Yet if anyone can keep his footing in such precarious circumstances, Cheeks's supporters say, it is the former entertainment lawyer, who has steered television networks through a rapidly changing media landscape while overcoming thorny issues and pleasing big egos. 'I do not know how he manages all he oversees and always has a smile on his face despite whatever noise is going on,' CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach said. Cheeks dismissed questions about settlement talks during a recent event promoting CBS's upcoming prime-time lineup, saying 'I appreciate the try, but I have had no tequila today.' He acknowledged the network faced challenges and said he was focused on supporting his team. 'For me, what's important as a leader is how you show up in a difficult time,' he said. His biggest goal was making sure everyone is 'locking arms and saying, 'We're a team, we're a family, we're going to get through this together.' ' Cheeks declined to comment for this article. Trump's lawsuit alleges '60 Minutes' deceitfully edited an interview with Kamala Harris, who was then the Democratic presidential candidate. Cheeks has played a role in settlement talks. The sides, which are also in mediation, have been tens of millions of dollars apart, The Wall Street Journal reported. The prospect of a settlement has angered many CBS news staff, who say the editing of the interview by '60 Minutes' was typical and showed a different part of the answer to the same question. Some of the staff also criticize Cheeks for going too far accommodating Redstone's complaints that CBS News coverage of the war with Hamas has displayed an anti-Israel bias. Redstone is the daughter of the late media titan Sumner Redstone. After she and Jewish groups criticized a '60 Minutes' story about the Biden administration's response to the war in Gaza, Cheeks in January named former CBS News President Susan Zirinsky as executive editor in charge of vetting stories and checking for bias. Redstone pushed for the hire, people familiar with the matter said. Zirinsky, who is close to Redstone, was an executive producer of 'We Will Dance Again,' a recent documentary about the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on an Israeli music festival. Her assignment undercut '60 Minutes' executive producer Bill Owens, some CBS News staff said, because he has long had an antagonistic relationship with Zirinsky. Owens resigned last month, citing a loss of editorial control of the show to corporate oversight. People close to Cheeks and '60 Minutes' said he has preserved the show's editorial independence and none of its stories have been altered or softened. When he joined NBCUniversal in 2012 as a late-night business-affairs executive, Cheeks formed a close bond with Lorne Michaels, the powerful creator of 'Saturday Night Live,' who is known for being wary of network 'suits' and their requests. Cheeks won Michaels over by not coming across as a corporate type, there to look over his shoulder and scrutinize every last item on his budgets, Michaels said. 'He cared about the shows and the people who did the shows,' Michaels said in an interview, and he understood 'our end of the business, which was not something NBC knew much about.' Some network executives, however, said Cheeks catered too much to Michaels. Cheeks played a key role in the lucrative 2015 NBCU deal to acquire reruns of 'Saturday Night Live' from Michaels for between $250 million and $300 million, people familiar with the pact said. Michaels said Cheeks wasn't a pushover. 'He was tough when he had to be,' he said. 'He was a fan of the show without being a sycophant or star-struck.' With Michaels advocating for him, Cheeks climbed the ladder at NBCU, eventually becoming co-chairman of NBC Entertainment. Cheeks's rise at the company halted in 2020, when NBC movie boss Jeff Shell was also given oversight of NBC Entertainment. Shell moved Cheeks to vice chair of NBCU Content Studios, which some staff saw as a demotion. At the staff meeting outlining the restructuring, Cheeks broke down in tears and pounded a table, saying while he understood this was what was best for the company it still hurt, people who attended the meeting said. Cheeks took the helm of CBS a few months later. There, he is known for working through tropical vacations and has drawn praise for maintaining CBS's solid prime-time lineup and holding on to the network's important sports deals, including with the NFL. Cheeks greenlighted such CBS hits as 'Ghosts,' 'Tracker' and this season's successful 'Matlock.' Yet Paramount rolled back the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that Cheeks had pushed, such as directing that half of the casts of unscripted shows be Black, indigenous or people of color and assigning a quarter of its development budget toward Bipoc creators and producers. The FCC has been examining Paramount's commitment to abstain from such diversity initiatives as part of its review of the Skydance merger, The Wall Street Journal has reported. Cheeks is one of three co-CEOs of Paramount along with movie studio head Brian Robbins and cable network chief Chris McCarthy. He has taken a leadership role among the three CEOs preparing the company for the Skydance takeover, including making sure Paramount promptly answers Skydance's information requests, people familiar with the situation said. After the combination is finished, Cheeks is expected to take a senior position at Skydance, people familiar with the matter said. He isn't expected to report to Shell, the former NBC executive who had sidelined Cheeks and who will become Skydance president. Write to Joe Flint at and Jessica Toonkel at
