Trump says CBS under David Ellison will be – Business News
President Donald Trump stated he expects CBS News to be “fairer” under billionaire David Ellison’s possession and with Bari Weiss as its new editor in chief.
“I don’t expect them to become like Fox [News],” Trump instructed CNN in an interview that aired Wednesday. “Just fair.”
Fox News shares common possession with The Post.
President Donald Trump stated he expects CBS News to be “fairer” under billionaire David Ellison’s possession. REUTERS
Days earlier, during a press gaggle aboard Air Force One, Trump lavished reward on Ellison and his father, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, who now control CBS by their $8.4 billion Paramount Skydance merger.
“Larry Ellison is great, and his son David is great. They’re friends of mine. They’re big supporters of mine,” Trump instructed reporters.
“They will make the right decisions. They’re going to revitalize CBS — hopefully, they’ll bring it back to its former glory.”
“They’re gonna make CBS — hopefully they’ll, you know, they called it the Tiffany Network,” Trump stated.
“And it’s got great potential. CBS has great potential.”
Trump additionally bashed CBS News’ former “Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell after The Post reported that the longtime correspondent is rumored to be returning to an anchor spot on the community.
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“So who’s going to be the head anchor at CBS?” Trump requested reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday.
“Not Norah O’Donnell. I don’t believe it. I don’t believe it,” he jabbed.
“You know, there’s a story that they’re gonna — I dunno,” he stopped himself.
David Ellison took control of CBS News after his company Skydance Media merged with Paramount Global. AFP by way of Getty Images
The Ellisons’ assuming control of CBS News got here months after earlier father or mother company Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle a federal lawsuit introduced by Trump over a “60 Minutes” interview final 12 months with then–Vice President Kamala Harris.
The swimsuit, filed in Amarillo, Texas, alleged that CBS deceptively edited Harris’s responses to favor Democrats during the marketing campaign.
Paramount and CBS denied wrongdoing however settled in July as they sought federal approval for his or her merger.
Under the deal, the settlement funds had been directed to Trump’s future presidential library and CBS agreed to release transcripts of future 60 Minutes interviews with presidential candidates, subject to national-security redactions.
The settlement cleared the way in which for regulators to approve the merger that put CBS under Skydance control.
Ellison put in Bari Weiss as editor in chief of CBS News. AP
The feedback got here as Ellison strikes aggressively to reshape CBS News. Earlier this month, he put in Bari Weiss — a 41-year-old journalist recognized for her pro-Israel stance and criticism of identification politics — as editor in chief.
Ellison instructed staff in an Oct. 6 memo that he wished “rigorous, fact-based reporting and a relentless commitment to amplifying voices from all corners of the spectrum.”
Weiss, founder of The Free Press, bought her startup to Paramount Skydance for $150 million as half of her hiring deal.
Trump weighed in on rumors that Norah O’Donnell would be returning to a distinguished anchor place at CBS News. REUTERS
In her word to workers, she pledged to ship “journalism that reports on the world as it actually is” and “journalism that holds both American political parties to equal scrutiny.”
Inside the community, Weiss’s arrival has uncovered deep divisions. One veteran worker described CBS as a “snake pit,” saying some producers “would rather see the brand fail and lose their jobs than embrace change.”
“She’s going to have to win over people but those she can’t, she’s going to have to show them the door,” one other staffer instructed The Post.
Weiss’s first transfer was to call Adam Rubenstein — the conservative editor who as soon as stated he was ostracized at The New York Times for liking Chick-fil-A — as her deputy. An individual conversant in the choice stated Weiss “trusts him implicitly.”
Within days, Weiss started steering protection from inside CBS’s morning editorial conferences, the place she pressed workers to secure interviews in regards to the Israel-Hamas cease-fire with Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, architects of President Trump’s peace plan.
The swift adjustments drew each consideration and backlash. Former anchor Dan Rather stated on his Substack that “it is a dark day in the halls of CBS News,” arguing that the Ellison household’s friendship with Trump undermines the community’s independence.
“The American people will pay the price for this move,” Rather wrote.
Tensions escalated final week after Weiss emailed workers asking them to explain their duties and up to date work.
The Ellisons’ assuming control of CBS News got here months after earlier father or mother company Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle a federal lawsuit introduced by Trump. Christopher Sadowski
The Writers Guild of America East, which represents many CBS journalists, instructed members to ignore the request.
“You will not be disciplined if you do not respond to the email, indicating that a response is optional,” the union stated in a message obtained by Variety.
“Any replies also will not be used against workers as a basis for discipline, discharge or layoff.”
Variety reported “mass confusion” inside the community as union members and non-union producers acquired conflicting steering about Weiss’s memo.
The push to recalibrate CBS News’ editorial bent has backing from Shari Redstone, the previous controlling shareholder who stated lately that “news needs to be more balanced” and “fact-based.”
Trump is close to David Ellison’s father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison (proper). Getty Images
She added: “You’ve got to give your audience credit for being smart enough to hear different points of view.”
Weiss’s inside evaluations of the CBS Evening News and CBS Mornings groups have fueled hypothesis about staffing adjustments.
O’Donnell has emerged as a potential returnee to the Evening News anchor desk, whereas Gayle King’s reported $15 million-a-year contract expires in May.
Some insiders say Weiss’s calm demeanor has saved the newsroom from panic.
“She’s putting people at ease even though they know cuts are coming,” one staffer stated.
CBS News, Ellison, and Weiss didn’t reply to requests for remark.
