CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon steps down
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CBS News and Stations president and CEO Wendy McMahon on Monday announced she is stepping down from her role, according to a memo sent to staff from Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks. McMahon also oversaw CBS Media Ventures, the network's syndication unit.
Why it matters: Her resignation comes as CBS' parent company Paramount considers settling a $20 billion lawsuit from President Trump over a segment on "60 Minutes."
Zoom in: No new executives are directly replacing McMahon, according to Cheeks' memo.
- On the news side, CBS News president Tom Cibrowski and CBS Stations president Jennifer Mitchell will each report directly to Cheeks moving forward.
- On the syndication side, CBS' ad sales and programming leads, Scott Trupchak and John Budkins, will now report to Bryon Rubin, CBS' chief operating officer and CFO.
- McMahon will stay on with the companies for a "few weeks to support the transition," Cheeks wrote.
Catch up quick: McMahon joined CBS as president and co-head of CBS News in 2021 from ABC. She split the role with Neeraj Khemlani who stepped down from his position in 2023.
- After Khemlani's departure, McMahon was named the sole president and CEO of CBS News Stations and CBS Media Ventures.
The big picture: Under McMahon, CBS News expanded its streaming efforts and rejiggered its primetime lineup. But those editorial changes were at times overshadowed by controversies around the company's coverage.
- Last year, Paramount Global chair Shari Redstone publicly condemned the handling of an interview about the Israel-Palestine conflict by CBS News' leadership.
- The "60 Minutes" lawsuit, while ongoing, has caused morale issues at the network.
- Last month, CBS News' "60 Minutes" longtime executive producer Bill Owens stepped down, citing concerns about journalistic independence.
