CNN chief Mark Thompson to stay as Ellison's Skydance takes over
In short
Mark Thompson will remain chairman and editor-in-chief of CNN after the Ellison family's Skydance takes control of the network's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery. The combined company, to be called Skydance, announced its leadership team on Monday, with David Ellison as CEO and Ynon Kreiz as co-CEO; Thompson will report to both. Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to close on Tuesday.
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Mark Thompson will remain chairman and editor-in-chief of CNN after the Ellison family's Skydance takes control of the network's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, the company said Monday. The combined company, named Skydance, announced its leadership team on Monday morning, CNN reported, with Paramount chief executive David Ellison as CEO and former Mattel head Ynon Kreiz as co-CEO; Thompson will report to both. Reuters reported that Ellison is retaining Thompson as CNN chief while unveiling the Skydance leadership team. Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to close on Tuesday, according to CNN and The Verge. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
In a memo to CNN staffers, Thompson wrote that he was “convinced that from David Ellison on down, Paramount Skydance leadership really does believe in news alongside entertainment as a top strategic opportunity for our new company,” and that he had “real confidence” they would support “the principle and practice of the kind of independent news that CNN has always stood for.” He said he would lead CNN “as an independent editor-in-chief with the same responsibilities and prerogatives that I have now.” Business Insider, which obtained the memo, reported the same quotations. Thompson ran the BBC and The New York Times Co. before joining CNN in 2023, CNN reported. [ 2 , 3 ]
The announcement resolved months of uncertainty over the politically charged merger, CNN reported. The deal, valued at $110 billion by Business Insider and The Verge, will put CNN and Paramount's CBS News under one corporate roof, although CNN reported the announcement signalled no immediate combination of the two newsrooms. Thompson had told staffers at a September town hall, “Don't jump to conclusions that we become one with CBS News,” according to Business Insider, which cited a person familiar with the meeting. Critics were concerned that Ellison and his father, Oracle billionaire and longtime Trump ally Larry Ellison, could bend the operation to be more favorable to the president, Business Insider reported; Ellison has broadly denied any interest in interfering politically in newsrooms under his control. As part of the settlement of an antitrust lawsuit brought by 12 states, Paramount will create an independent editorial board to monitor editorial principles at both CNN and CBS News, reporting to the combined entity's corporate board through its chief compliance officer, according to Business Insider and The Verge. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The Verge reported the rest of the executive lineup: HBO CEO Casey Bloys as chief content officer of Skydance's streaming business, Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg heading the film studios, and George Cheeks running the TV business. Bari Weiss, appointed editor-in-chief of CBS News last year, will remain in her role even as ratings decline, The Verge reported. CNN reported that Thompson held several meetings with Paramount executives last week, citing sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, and that The Wall Street Journal was first to report that David Ellison had asked Thompson to stay. [ 2 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The decision ends months of uncertainty over who would run CNN through a politically charged US media merger that puts CNN and CBS News under one corporate roof. It also tests the editorial-independence commitments attached to the deal, including an independent editorial board required by a 12-state antitrust settlement. Because CNN is a global news brand, how its newsroom is governed under the new owner is likely to be watched outside the United States.
Key facts
- Mark Thompson will stay on as CNN's chairman and editor-in-chief after Skydance takes over the network's parent company. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The combined Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery company is named Skydance and will be led by CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to close on Tuesday. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Thompson will report to David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz, according to CNN. [ 2 ]
- Thompson led the BBC and The New York Times Co. before joining CNN in 2023. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The deal puts CNN and Paramount's CBS News under one corporate roof, with no immediate combination of the two newsrooms announced. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Under a settlement of an antitrust lawsuit brought by 12 states, Paramount will create an independent editorial board to monitor editorial principles at CNN and CBS News. [ 3 , 4 ]
- The Verge reported other appointments: Casey Bloys as chief content officer of the streaming business, Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg over the film studios, George Cheeks over the TV business, and Bari Weiss staying as CBS News editor-in-chief. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Mark Thompson will remain CNN's chairman and editor-in-chief as Skydance takes over Warner Bros. Discovery. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The combined company, named Skydance, announced its leadership team on Monday morning with David Ellison as CEO and Ynon Kreiz as co-CEO. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to close on Tuesday. [ 2 , 4 ]
- CNN and Paramount's CBS News will sit under the same corporate roof as a result of the deal. [ 3 , 4 ]
- A 12-state antitrust settlement requires Paramount to create an independent editorial board overseeing editorial principles at CNN and CBS News. [ 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Whether CNN and CBS News will eventually be combined into a single news operation. CNN reported the announcement signalled no immediate combination, and Business Insider reported Thompson told staffers in September not to assume the two would merge; the documents give no decision.
- Whether the new owners will preserve CNN's editorial independence. Business Insider reported critics were concerned the Ellisons could bend the operation toward the president, and that Ellison has broadly denied any interest in interfering politically; no document settles the question.
- Who will sit on the independent editorial board and whether it has been seated. Business Insider described the board's reporting line but the documents do not name members or a start date.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The New York Times reports that Mark Thompson told CNN employees he will stay on under Skydance, citing his memo. [ 1 ]
- CNN reports that the combined company, named Skydance, announced its leadership team on Monday morning and that Thompson will remain chairman and editor-in-chief. [ 2 ]
- Business Insider publishes Thompson's memo to staffers and reports the deal value and the states' antitrust settlement. [ 3 ]
- The Verge reports the full Skydance executive lineup and that the acquisition is expected to close on Tuesday. [ 4 ]
- Reuters reports that Ellison is retaining Thompson as CNN chief and has unveiled the Skydance leadership team. [ 5 ]
- Reuters publishes a Portuguese-language version of the same report. [ 6 ]