Paramount CEO David Ellison wants CEO Mark Thompson to stay at CNN after the Warner Bros. Discovery deal closes, a move that would settle at least some of the speculation about the network’s future under its new owners.
Talks between Ellison and Thompson are believed to be in their early stages, according to sources familiar with the matter. THE Wall Street Journal first reported on Ellison’s plans to retain Thompson, who was tapped to lead the network in 2023. Since then, he has sought to integrate linear and digital operations while launching CNN’s All Access subscription and streaming service.
Under Thompson, CNN also continued to report aggressively on the Trump administration, while also embarking on legal action against the president after he banned the channel and two other media outlets from the White House grounds. The channel also defended its journalists in the face of attacks from the president, including his chief White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins.
Thompson served as chairman and chief executive of the New York Times Company from 2012 to 2020, after serving as director general of the BBC for eight years.
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THE Newspaper also reported that Bari Weiss, the editor-in-chief of CBS News, is not expected to play a role at CNN. There has been speculation among current and former network employees that Weiss could be given additional responsibilities after the deal closes, since CBS News and CNN will now be sister networks.
According to a financial filing released earlier this year, CNN is expected to generate $1.8 billion in revenue for fiscal 2026 and $600 million in profit. The network is estimated to reach $2.2 billion in revenue in 2030, with $700 million in profits.
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