Latest news with #TheSummit
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
CHEER AND DANCE TEAMS CELEBRATE THE END OF SEASONS AT THE SUMMIT, THE DANCE SUMMIT AND D2 SUMMIT CHAMPIONSHIPS
MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Varsity Spirit – a division of Varsity Brands and a global leader in cheerleading, dance team and band apparel, camps and competitions, and yearbooks, is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of the 2025 Summit Championship and Dance Summit Championship held on May 1-4, 2025 in Orlando, FL, followed by the D2 Summit Championship held May 9-11, 2025, also in Orlando, FL. All Star cheerleading and dance teams traveled from around the globe to compete at The Summit, Dance Summit and D2 Summit Championships at the Walt Disney World® Resort. Between the three events, the championships collectively hosted over 45,000 athletes and coaches and more than 2,300 teams from 18 countries and over 78,000 spectators. "For all star cheer and dance athletes around the world, The Summit Championships are the ultimate way to close out their season," said John Newby, Executive VP and General Manager of Varsity Spirit Events. "We are committed to providing a best-in-class experience for our customers, and this year's events truly delivered. The talent, dedication, and passion displayed by these athletes were nothing short of inspiring." Varsity All Star proudly continued its tradition of recognizing athletes who exemplify the #AllStarStrong values of teamwork, dedication, confidence, and leadership through The Varsity Pinnacle Award. This honor is presented to one standout athlete at each of the end-of-season events, including The Summit, The Dance Summit and The D2 Summit. This year, Varsity All Star was honored to present the 2025 Pinnacle Award to Stan Cottom, the first international and male award recipient, from Crush Cheer in Bletchley, United Kingdom at The Summit, Charlotte Schubert from Dollhouse Dance Factory in Sheboygan, Wisconsin at The Dance Summit, and Alexa Wilson from Ohio Valley All Stars in Parkersburg, West Virginia at The D2 Summit. Stan, Charlotte and Alexa have distinguished themselves as exceptional athletes, impactful leaders, and inspiring role models within their teams and gyms. Varsity All Star is proud to celebrate the example they set, both through their athletic pursuits and hometown communities. To learn more about The Varsity Pinnacle Awards and this year's recipients, please visit the awards news page here. For more information on The Summit Championship, The Dance Summit Championship and The D2 Summit Championship, please visit Varsity Spirit live-streamed all of the championships on Varsity TV, a website dedicated to exclusive live coverage and video libraries of Varsity Spirit cheer and dance competitions. Once again, The Summit and Dance Summit Championships will air on ESPN later this summer. Videos of the routines are available for fans who were otherwise unable to attend, and full results listings are available on Varsity TV. About Varsity SpiritMemphis-based Varsity Spirit, the driving force behind cheerleading's dynamic transformation into the high-energy, athletic activity it is today, is the leading global source for all things spirit, including cheerleading, dance team, performing arts and yearbook. A division of Varsity Brands, Varsity Spirit is a leader in uniform innovation, as well as educational camps, clinics and competitions, impacting more than a million athletes each year. Focused on safety, entertainment and traditional school leadership, Varsity Spirit's employees have been dedicated to celebrating spirit through its brands since 1974. For more information about Varsity Spirit or Varsity Brands, please visit or About Varsity BrandsVarsity Brands is the premier provider of customizable team sports, cheer, dance, band, and yearbook services, experiences, and products. The company's mission is to elevate the student experience, positively impacting the lives of over 55 million young people nationwide. Its divisions—BSN SPORTS and Varsity Spirit—champion youth participation and celebrate their achievements, fostering passion, enthusiasm, and community engagement. The company serves elementary, middle, and high schools, colleges, universities, gyms, club select teams, and professional sports. Explore how Varsity Brands is shaping the future of youth engagement and making a difference in the lives of young people across the country at MEDIA CONTACT:Kelly GreeneVarsity Spiritkgreene@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Varsity Brands, LLC Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Newark High School Students Learn About AI Through Career Exploration
This article was originally published in Chalkbeat. On a recent Thursday morning, Michael Taubman asked his class of seniors at North Star Academy's Washington Park High School: 'What do you think AI's role should be in your future career?' 'In school, like how we use AI as a tool and we don't use it to cheat on our work … that's how it should be, like an assistant,' said Amirah Falana, a 17-year-old interested in a career in real estate law. Fernando Infante, an aspiring software developer, agreed that AI should be a tool to 'provide suggestions' and inform the work. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter 'It's like having AI as a partner rather than it doing the work,' said Infante during class. Falana and Infante are students in Taubman's class called The Summit, a yearlong program offered to 93 seniors this year and expanding to juniors next year that also includes a 10-week AI course developed by Taubman and Stanford University. As part of the course, students use artificial intelligence tools – often viewed in a negative light due to privacy and other technical concerns – to explore their career interests and better understand how technology could shape the workforce. The class is also timely, as 92% of companies plan to invest in more AI over the next three years, according to a report by global consulting firm McKinsey and Company. The lessons provide students with hands-on exercises to better understand how AI works and how they can use it in their daily lives. They are also designed so teachers across subject areas can include them as part of their courses and help high school students earn a Google Career Certificate for AI Essentials, which introduces AI and teaches the basics of using AI tools. Students like Infante have used the AI and coding skills they learned in class to create their own apps while others have used them to create school surveys and spark new thoughts about their future careers. Taubman says the goal is to also give students agency over AI so they can embrace technological changes and remain competitive in the workfield. 'One of the key things for young people right now is to make sure they understand that this technology is not inevitable,' Taubman told Chalkbeat last month. 'People made this, people are making decisions about it, and there are pros and cons like with everything people make and we should be talking about this.' As Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, graduate high school and enter a workforce where AI is new, many are wondering how the technology will be used and to what extent. Nearly half of Gen Z students polled by The Walton Family Foundation and Gallup said they use AI weekly, according to the newly released survey exploring how youth view AI. (The Walton Family Foundation is a supporter of Chalkbeat. See our funders list here.) The same poll found that over 4 in 10 Gen Z students believe they will need to know AI in their future careers, and over half believe schools should be required to teach them how to use it. This school year, Newark Public Schools students began using Khan Academy's AI chatbot tutor called Khanmigo, which the district launched as a pilot program last year. Some Newark teachers reported that the tutoring tool was helpful in the classroom, but the district has not released data on whether it helped raise student performance and test scores. The district in 2024 also launched its multimillion project to install AI cameras across school buildings in an attempt to keep students safe. But more than just using AI in school, students want to feel prepared to use it after graduating high school. Nearly 3 in 4 college students said their colleges or universities should be preparing them for AI in the workplace, according to a survey from Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse's Student Voice series. Many of the challenges of using AI in education center on the type of learning approach used, accuracy, and building trust with the technology, said Nhon Ma, CEO of Numerade – an online learning assistant that uses AI and educators to help students learn STEM concepts. But that's why it's important to immerse students in AI to help them understand the ways it could be used and when to spot issues, Ma added. 'We want to prepare our youth for this competitive world stage, especially on the technological front so they can build their own competence and confidence in their future paths. That could potentially lead towards higher earnings for them too,' Ma said. For Infante, the senior in Taubman's class, AI has helped spark a love for computer science and deepened his understanding of coding. He used it to create an app that tracks personal milestones and goals and awards users with badges once they reach them. As an aspiring software developer, he feels he has an advantage over other students because he's learning about AI in high school. Taubman also says it's especially important for students to understand how quickly the technology is advancing, especially for students like Infante looking towards a career in technology. 'I think it's really important to help young people grapple with how this is new, but unlike other big new things, the pace is very fast, and the implications for career are almost immediate in a lot of cases,' Taubman added. It's also important to remember the limitations of AI, Taubman said, noting that students need the basic understanding of how AI works in order to question it, identify any mistakes, and use it accordingly in their careers. 'I don't want students to lose out on an internship or job because someone else knows how to use AI better than they do, but what I really want is for students to get the internship or the job because they're skillful with AI,' Taubman said. Through Taubman's class, students are also identifying how AI increases the demand for skills that require human emotion, such as empathy and ethics. Daniel Akinyele, a 17-year-old senior, said he was interested in a career in industrial and organizational psychology, which focuses on human behavior in the workplace. During Taubman's class, he used a custom AI tool on his laptop to explore different scenarios where he could use AI in his career. Many involved talking to someone about their feelings or listening to vocal cues that might indicate a person is sad or angry. Ultimately, psychology is a career about human connection and 'that's where I come into play,' Akinyele said. 'I'm human, so I would understand how people are feeling, like the emotion that AI doesn't see in people's faces, I would see it and understand it,' Akinyele added. Falana, the aspiring real estate attorney, also used the custom AI tool to consider how much she should rely on AI when writing legal documents. Similar to writing essays in schools, Falana said professionals should use their original writing in their work but AI could serve as a launching pad. 'I feel like the legal field should definitely put regulations on AI use, like we shouldn't be able to, draw up our entire case using AI,' Falana said. During Taubman's class, students also discussed fake images and videos created by AI. Infante, who wants to be a software developer, added that he plans to use AI regularly on the job but believes it should also be regulated to limit disinformation online. Taubman says it's important for students to have a healthy level of skepticism when it comes to new technologies. He encourages students to think about how AI generates images, the larger questions around copyright infringement, and their training processes. 'We really want them to feel like they have agency in this world, both their capacity to use these systems,' Taubman said, 'but also to ask these broader questions about how they were designed.' This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The Summit: Will CBS show return with Season 2? Here's what the ratings say and what you can expect
US version of The Summit Live Events The Summit: Who won the first season? The Summit: Will there be a Season 2? FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Summit, a one-of-a-kind series that featured 16 contestants tasked with climbing a mountain, had its premiere in the fall last year for its inaugural showed the participating contestants going through various obstacles, which included twists and turns by the Mountain's Keeper, to reach the checkpoints on Summit, hosted by Manu Bennett , was a spinoff of the Australian series of the same name. The latter show made its debut in 2023 and has completed two seasons so the show, the contestants were provided two weeks' time to climb the mountain in the Southern Alps, while overcoming numerous challenges that came their maiden season of The Summit took viewers on a thrilling adventure as the participants made every possible effort to be the first person to reach the top of the mountain and bag the $250,000 cash prize of the 16 contestants at the start of the journey, three were finally able to complete the path without getting eliminated or withdrawing from the these three were Nick Morgan, a salesman from Louisiana's Madisonville; Ladeania 'Punkin' Jackson, US Air Force Sergeant from Columbus; and Therron Pittman, a Los Angeles-based three of them ended up getting $250,000, while Morgan received $500,000 in total winnings after being voted by the players, who were eliminated earlier from the though fans of the Australian version of the series have witnessed two seasons to date, there is no possibility of having a Season 2 for The Summit in the April this year, broadcaster CBS announced its decision to cancel The Summit along with its comedy series Poppa's came after it placed two other shows in the lineup -- DMV and Summit did not perform well in terms of ratings and received 2.6 million viewers on average in the maiden season, according to TV Season 1 of the series did not receive much praise from critics, who criticised the concept of including normal people in the contest rather than going for experienced of the critics had even termed Bennett's hosting as a "cheap Survivor knockoff".As a result, CBS decided to avoid going ahead with a second season of the Jai Courtney presented the show in the will reportedly share details during its CBS 2025-2026 schedule reveal on May 7.
The Spinoff
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
The best things from Australia and Aotearoa to watch this weekend
Australia and New Zealand join forces once more to bring you the best films and TV shows to watch this weekend. This Anzac Day, our free-to-air TV channels will screen a variety of commemorative coverage. At 11am, TVNZ1 has live coverage of the Anzac Day National Commemorative Service in Wellington. Over on Whakaata Māori you'll find the Anzac Day Gallipoli Service 2025, live from Anzac Cove at 12.45pm, followed by a full day of Anzac-themed content. A highlight will be Ngā Kiri Kāpia, a documentary revealing the untold tales from soldiers who served in the Māori Battalion as veteran Tā Robert 'Bom' Gillies returns to Monte Casino one last time. But as the long weekend extends beyond Friday, it's also the perfect time to dive into a piece of classic New Zealand cinema, or binge your way through a beautiful reality series that tests the tenacity of our neighbours, or simply watch some Aussie jokers playing lawn bowls. Whatever your Antipodean yearnings this long weekend, we've got you covered with our list of film and TV recommendations from both sides of the Tasman. Happy watching. The Summit (TVNZ+) In another powerful union between Aotearoa and Australia, The Summit takes a bunch of Aussies from all walks of life and drops them in the Southern Alps with the sole purpose of climbing a mountain with one million dollars strapped to their backs. Along with the obvious physical challenges, there are a plethora of thrilling obstacles put in their way, and a mysterious mountainkeeper who throws out gamechanging dufflebags every few days to keep things interesting. If they don't make it to the peak in time, they go home empty-handed, which also leads to some cutthroat Lord of the Flies-esque eliminations. One for people who love watching Alone, Survivor, The Bridge, and Kathmandu commercials. / Alex Casey Sleeping Dogs (TVNZ+) After years of hearing Sleeping Dogs pop up in discussions about New Zealand's greatest ever films, I finally watched it recently. Reader, I can see why everyone's obsessed with Sam Neill now. Based on C.K. Stead's debut novel and directed by local legend Roger Donaldson, Sleeping Dogs ask: if New Zealand fell into a totalitarian regime, would you revolt? Were there some subpar performances from supporting actors? Yes. Did some of the scene transitions jar? Also yes. But the story of a man caught up in a revolution, complete with scenes of violent protest in downtown Auckland, felt like a Big Movie in a Small Country. As a viewing experience in 2025, I was pleasantly surprised. As a viewing experience nearly 50(!) years ago when it was released in 1977? I can only imagine. Worth a watch. / Mad Chapman Hui Hoppers (TVNZ+) Joyful, hilarious, educational and unapologetically Māori – season two of Hui Hoppers is a standout that could've easily run twice as long and I still would've binged it in one sitting. I'll admit, I wasn't sold on the first season. Maybe I was just grumpy, but the humour felt a bit dry and the show seemed hesitant to fully lean in. This time around, that's all changed. The comedy is sharper, the wit is pure Māori gold, and I found myself laughing out loud more than once. Anchored by half-sisters Anahera and Kura, this season introduces the 'Pādashians' – a gloriously extra crew of cousins decked out in designer fits, always ready to stir the pot. From the first episode's showcasing of mokopapa, to the emotional beats around taonga and the development of whenua, Hui Hoppers tackles everyday kaupapa with heart and humour. The kai consistently looks delicious (especially the bliss balls), the writing is clever and grounded, and the whole thing hums with the energy of a show made by Māori, for Māori – and for anyone else smart enough to tune in. / Liam Rātana Round the Twist (YouTube) Nary a day goes by where I am not thinking about something from Round the Twist, the buzzy 90s Australian kids' show inspired by the twisted stories of Paul Jennings. Centred around a single father and his family who live in a spooky lighthouse on the rugged Victorian coast, each episode is a surreal saga that asks the question: 'have you ever, ever felt like this?' From the skeleton on the dunny, to the Shrek-green baby in the cabbage patch, to a stomach-churning spaghetti eating contest, I can't think of a better Aussie nostalgia hit for millennials over the long weekend. Even better if you can watch it on one of those old TVs on wheels. / AC Mataku (NZ On Screen) Speaking of spooky sagas from the 90s, I can also recommend dipping your toes into Mataku (there's a couple of episodes on NZ On Screen, and more on YouTube if you know your way around a search bar). Hosted by Temuera Morrison, the 'Māori Twilight Zone' anthology weaves Māori mythology and contemporary issues together in a truly singular series, exploring everything from a photograph that steals people's life force to the role of patupaiarehe (fairies) in a missing person's case. As Erin Harrington wrote in our Top 100 countdown: 'Mataku highlights the power of ghost stories to entertain and challenge audiences, while offering deep insight into the way the present and the past are inextricably connected. It's well-worth revisiting.' / AC Fake (ThreeNow) Asher Keddie and David Wenham star in this Australian psychological drama about a magazine writer named Birdie (Keddie) who meets a successful businessman on a dating app and quickly falls for him. Birdie wants love more than anything else, and despite her initial reservations, convinces herself she's found the perfect match and the ideal future — until she slowly starts to uncover her new love's sticky web of lies and deceit. It's a quiet, slow burn of a series, but Keddie and Wenham both give impressive performances, and the fact that the series is inspired by a true story makes the deception and tension feel even more creepy. / Tara Ward 50 Ways of Saying Fabulous (TVNZ+) This funny and sweet coming of age film is set in Central Otago's drought-parched summer of 1975. It's an uplifting, yet not uncomplicated, portrayal of growing up gay in small-town New Zealand, complete with kids cycling around at night, pressure to play rugby and plenty of gumboots and plaid. The chubby 12-year-old protagonist, Billy, is trying to be a 'good kiwi bloke' but finds that he prefers to pin a long ponytail on the back of his hat, pretend to be a female astronaut, befriend the new weird kid at school and indulge in looking at the new farmhand. The casting is incredible, to the point where it feels like the characters are simply playing themselves. This is no coincidence – Stewart Main, the director, wanted the leads to be 'authentic country kids' and spent several months on the road auditioning children for the roles. Fabulous! / Gabi Lardies Runt (Rent on AroVision, Prime Video, Apple TV+) This is a story for the whole family. A cheeky little stray (a Hairy Mclary-ish mutt) is given a home by Annie Shearer (played by Lily LaTorre), a young girl who lives on a farm with her mum (Australian comedy legend Celeste Barber), dad, and mad older brother who films outrageous stunts and puts them online. Based on the beloved novel by Craig Silvey, there's a old-timey, surreal tone to this film that is essentially about finding out who you really are. It's set in contemporary times (they have the internet) but the clothing is vintage and the rustic, rural town, parched with lack of rain, feels like it's from the 1950s. The effect is a classic, cosy and slightly camp movie about a small child and an even smaller dog who beat the odds against greed and treachery and weather. / Claire Mabey Goodbye Pork Pie (TVNZ+) I've been trying to fill out my New Zealand film education of late, and while I've long felt intrinsically familiar with the vibe of Goodbye Pork Pie, I realised I had actually never seen Goodbye Pork Pie. A few minutes into the road trip classic on TVNZ+, I realised this mythological 'vibe' I had absorbed (best described as Herbie: Fully Loaded: Down Under, which I also haven't seen) could not have been further from reality. This movie is an absolute madcap coming-of-age caper down the country with heaps of raunch and mischief and Buster Keaton level slapstick stunts. Sure, some of the jokes haven't aged well and the gender politics are pretty weird, but there are also so many thrilling and iconic locations around the country that you'll be doing your best Leo-pointing-at-the-telly impression in no time. Long live the Blondini gang! / AC Happiness (ThreeNow) New Zealand's first ever musical sitcom is a cross between Schitt's Creek and Glee, with a cast of quirky, affectionate characters who'd also be right at home in small-town Brokenwood. Created by actor-writer Kip Chapman (Hudson and Halls) and composer Luke Di Somma (That Bloody Woman, The Unruly Tourists), Happiness tells the story of Charlie (Harry McNaughton), a Broadway director who's forced to return to his home town of Tauranga, where he reluctantly becomes involved in the local amateur theatre society. Also starring Rebecca Gibney and Peter Hambleton, Happiness is an upbeat show full of charm and joy that will keep you warm through these colder autumn nights. / TW Crackerjack (Rent on Arovision, YouTube) If your idea of classic Australian cinema is The Castle but you've already rewatched that so many times you can recite the entire script from memory, may I suggest the next best thing: Crackerjack. Released in 2002 (five years after The Castle), it's got a similar lo-fi warmth, underdog story and hard case cast of characters, led by Mick Molloy as a lazy schemer who joins his local bowls club to take advantage of the free parking, only to be forced to show up and start playing when he learns the club (and his parking spot) is at risk of being shut down by a greedy developer (John Clarke). I spent about a week googling local bowls clubs and thinking about joining them after watching this – yet another example of the power of cinema. / Calum Henderson Boy (TVNZ+) Say what you want about Taika Waititi now (his social media presence certainly raises an eyebrow) but Boy really is one of the best movies of the 21st Century. It swept the nation upon release 15 years ago, leading to the inevitable swing back to wondering if it was all a bit overhyped. Lucky for us all, it has only sweetened with age. A near perfect pacing, with an ensemble performance the likes of which we may never see again, Boy simply cannot disappoint these days. And with a bit of distance, a rewatch will have you crying more than you thought possible, in between reliving the immortal one-liners. A hilarious, devastating, beautiful film. / MC Secrets at Red Rocks (Neon, Sky Open) Based on the award-winning novel by Rachael King, family drama Secrets at Red Rocks tells the story of 12-year-old Jake (Korban Knock), who discovers a mysterious sealskin that unlocks a secret spell. It's a tale of adventure with a touch of the supernatural, as Māori myth and Celtic legends, sprites and silkies are woven through Jake's coming-of-age story. There's shades of The Secret of Roan Inish here too, but the show is set amid Wellington's wild, unpredictable coastline, which provides a rich and evocative background that's full of both beauty and foreboding. One for all the family to enjoy together. / TW
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Can '60 Minutes' Prized Independence Survive a Major Deal?
A thing to know about 60 Minutes, is that it has always, always, prided itself on being independent. Not just independent in the way that most news programs are independent, but independent even from the rest of CBS News. While the vast majority of CBS News staff are stuffed into the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street, 60 Minutes has long maintained a more traditional corporate office across the street, above BMW of Manhattan. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Einstein' Procedural, 'DMV' Comedy Land Series Orders at CBS 'Poppa's House' and 'The Summit' Canceled by CBS After Just One Season 'CIA' Drama Set in 'FBI' World Lands Series Pickup at CBS for 2025-26 That connective tissue has always been present in the stories 60 Minutes presented: Unafraid to take on the powerful, explore the unexplored, and occasionally to give a different perspective on a public figure people thought they knew. Segments could stretch into the hundreds of thousands of dollars in cost, unprecedented for a TV news program. And it has worked. 60 Minutes has been the number one news program on TV for years, routinely breaking into Nielsen's top 10 list at a time when it seems like only sports break through. And over the years CBS has tried to bring the 60 Minutes secret sauce to other parts of the news division, betting that it could help elevate some of CBS News' other shows, including in the mornings and evenings, where CBS' offerings have languished over the years behind ABC and NBC. That included 60 Minutes' executive producer, Bill Owens, adding oversight of the CBS Evening News, with a goal of bringing some of the 60 Minutes ethos to the broadcast. Now Owens is out, telling 60 Minutes staff that 'over the past months, it has also become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it. To make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience.' He told staff in a meeting 'in a million years, the corporation didn't know what was coming up, they trusted 60 Minutes to report the stories and program the broadcast the way 60 Minutes saw fit.' But that has changed in recent weeks. Susan Zirinsky, the former president of CBS News, returned to the network in an executive editor role earlier this year after a 60 Minutes segment about Israel was criticized as being 'biased and one-sided' against Israel from the ADL. 'While there is no way to cover such sensitive issues without provoking some degree of criticism, we have a responsibility to address those concerns,' Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks wrote when Zirinsky was hired. 'This includes feedback regarding perceived bias in some CBS News coverage. We cannot let this negatively affect our legacy or our future, our mission or our connection to our viewers.' Zirinsky has reviewed some 60 Minutes segments ahead of broadcast, a source says, something that was not typical beforehand. Semafor also reported that Paramount controlling shareholder Shari Redstone requested a list of upcoming story topics, another unusual change. But its hard to look at the tumult at 60 Minutes without the larger considerations at play: Redstone has a deal to sell Paramount Global to Skydance, controlled by David Ellison, in a deal financed by his father, Oracle founder Larry Ellison. The FCC is still reviewing the deal, and has to sign off on transferring any broadcast licenses. The agency sets a 180 day calendar to review deals. The Skydance-Paramount deal is on day 159. At the same time, the FCC is also reviewing a 'news distortion' complaint against CBS News over a 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris last year. In other words, the stakes are high, and the pressure is on, with a multi-billion dollar deal hanging in the balance. The FCC is believed to be seeking significant concessions from Skydance to secure approval, with an independent ombudsman, or an agreement to move staff or resources out of New York City and into cities where CBS has local stations among the possibilities. The question internally at CBS News is whether, after more than 56 years, 60 Minutes loses some of its long-held independence to secure the deal. Bill Owens was only the third EP in the show's history. Now there will be a fourth. But what happens next could determine if 60 Minutes turns into jst another broadcast newsmagazine, or survives as the gold standard for the format. For corporate titans, news is often more trouble than it is worth. There is, as the former NBC anchor Chuck Todd told THR earlier this month, a 'cultural problem' at play: 'That, to me, is unfixable. Whether you're at Disney, Warner Bros., Comcast, you name it. They're moving into another space, and they don't have time to incubate this.' The prize for Redstone is a multi-billion dollar payout, and the prize for Ellison is an entertainment empire. CBS News just one cog in that larger machine, and if it is gumming up a deal, there is a chance one side or the other looks for a way to grease things. Twenty one years ago, then-60 Minutes II correspondent Charlie Rose traveled to San Francisco Bay to interview Larry Ellison, who had poured more than $100 million into building a boat and a team to win the America's Cup sailing competition. Rose explored what made Ellison tick in the segment, uncovering a competitive spirit: 'I'm addicted to winning. The more you win, the more you want to win,' Ellison told Rose. Ellison has put billions of dollars from his personal fortune on the line to help his son win a major prize in Paramount Global. But what it takes to secure that win could determine the fate of the most-watched news show in America. 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