David Ellison has asked CNN CEO Mark Thompson to stay at the network after Paramount completes its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a new report Thursday.
Ellison and Thompson have discussed a new contract but have not reached an agreement, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the talks. Thompson is seeking assurances that he would retain broad editorial autonomy, while CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss is not expected to have a role involving CNN when the deal closes.
CNN did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Paramount declined to comment.
The development comes just over a week after Thompson told CNN staff that he wanted to remain at the network, while acknowledging that the decision would ultimately rest with Paramount. “I want to stay if Paramount finds me useful,” Thompson said during a company town hall. He added that Paramount had not yet told him how it planned to run CNN and cautioned employees against assuming CNN and CBS News would be combined.
The leadership question comes as Paramount prepares to bring CNN and CBS News under the same corporate parent, with the future of CNN’s editorial independence emerging as a key issue surrounding the $110 billion Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition.
Paramount chief legal officer Makan Delrahim told TheWrap at TheGrill on Wednesday that he was confident CNN would maintain its editorial independence under the Ellison family. He also said he did not believe CNN or CBS News would “foreclose access to information” once the networks are under the same owner.
Paramount expects the deal to close Oct. 6 after a federal judge approved its settlement with 12 state attorneys general Wednesday. Under the agreement, Paramount must establish a five-member News Editorial Independence Board within 180 days of closing to oversee editorial independence at CNN and CBS News and resolve specified disputes involving journalistic standards.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who led the coalition challenging the acquisition, told TheWrap at TheGrill that concerns about CNN’s future helped drive the settlement’s editorial protections.
“I care about our information ecosystem. It’s broken,” Bonta said. “Of course I’m concerned about it.”
