CBS News President Wendy McMahon announced on Monday that she is resigning from her position, saying in a memo that “it’s become clear the company and I do not agree on the path forward.”
Her announcement comes as CBS’s parent company, Paramount, is in talks to settle a $20 billion lawsuit from President Donald Trump over how 60 Minutes edited its interview with Kamala Harris at the height of the presidential campaign. Paramount’s controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, is in favor of settling the case as she is seeking approval by the Trump administration for its merger with Skydance Media.
Last month, executive producer Bill Owens resigned over concerns about editorial independence. McMahon said it “was an easy decision” to support Owens, which caused tensions to rise between Redstone and McMahon.
’60 MINUTES’ BLAMES PARAMOUNT’S IMPENDING MERGER FOR PRODUCER’S RESIGNATION
60 Minutes received criticism from Redstone for a segment reporting on the war in Gaza. Redstone considered 60 Minutes’s depiction of Israel to be too critical.
McMahon faced greater backlash from Redstone for criticizing CBS Mornings anchor Tony Dokoupil for challenging Ta-Nehisi Coates’s views on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, in which he expressed anti-Israel beliefs. Redstone said it was “a mistake” for CBS executives to criticize Dokoupil.