Mark Thompson will remain atop CNN after Paramount completes its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, while CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss will continue to separately lead her newsroom.
Skydance announced Monday that Thompson will serve as chairman and editor-in-chief of CNN Worldwide, while Weiss will remain editor-in-chief of CBS News. The two executives will make up what the company is calling its “CEO News Executive Leadership Team” and will report directly to chairman and CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz.
The structure formally clarifies one of the biggest questions hanging over the merger: Weiss, whom Ellison installed atop CBS News following Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount, will not oversee CNN or Thompson.
It also confirms Thompson’s place in the new company after Ellison had asked him to remain at CNN and the two sides began discussing his future ahead of the Warner Bros. Discovery deal’s closing.
Thompson currently serves as chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, but his title will shift to chairman and editor-in-chief under Skydance. The company said he will continue overseeing all aspects of CNN’s business in the U.S. and internationally.
CNN and CBS News will sit outside Skydance’s broader television leadership structure. George Cheeks will become co-chair and chief content officer of Skydance TV, overseeing the CBS Television Network, the company’s television studios, local stations and more than 50 cable networks.
The arrangement comes as Ellison and Kreiz divide responsibilities atop the combined company. Ellison will focus on Skydance’s long-term strategy, creative direction, talent relationships, strategic partnerships, technology and capital allocation, while Kreiz will oversee day-to-day management and integration of the business.
Thompson has led CNN since 2023 and has overseen the network’s push toward a more digitally focused business model. Before joining CNN, he served as president and CEO of The New York Times Company and director general of the BBC.
Weiss has served as editor-in-chief of CBS News since Skydance acquired The Free Press, the news organization she co-founded, in 2025. She continues to serve as EIC of The Free Press in addition to her role overseeing CBS News.
The CNN and CBS News appointments were announced Monday as part of Skydance’s broader post-merger leadership team, which also includes HBO chief Casey Bloys overseeing the company’s direct-to-consumer business and Cheeks overseeing television.
Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to close shortly, after which the combined company will operate under the Skydance name.
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