Embattled CBS News boss Wendy McMahon was pushed out on Monday after less than two years – including a $20 billion lawsuit brought by President Trump that has stalled parent company Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.
McMahon, who was given the title of CEO of CBS News, Stations, and CBS Media Ventures in 2023, has opposed settling the lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris in the heat of the presidential campaign that Trump alleges was deceptively edited to aid the former vice president.
“It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward,” McMahon said in a memo sent to shell-shocked staff.
CBS CEO George Cheeks, one of three executives in charge as Paramount awaits approval of the merger from the FCC, said McMahon had decided to “step down.” She will remain at the network for “a few weeks to support the transition,” he added.
McMahon, 51, offered a curt reply in her farewell note.
“To George: Thank you for this opportunity.”
Cheeks asked McMahon to resign during a meeting on Saturday, people familiar with the matter told CNBC.
McMahon’s tenure was marred by her widely-panned overhaul of the evening news, plummeting ratings at both the nightly newscast and the morning show, and internal turmoil over editorial standards.
“This is not a surprise. It was just a question of when,” said one person familiar with the matter. “It’s a bit late to stand up for journalism given what she’s done to CBS News — it’s not even the ratings, it’s the quality of the journalism.”
Paramount’s controlling shareholder Shari Redstone supported McMahon’s removal, a source close to the situation told The Post.
In recent weeks, she has pushed to settle the bitter legal battle as the two sides have gone into mediation – leading longtime “60 Minutes” producer Bill Owens to quit.
The media heiress and daughter of the late Sumner Redstone stands to make about $2 billion from the Skydance deal.
Skydance executive Jeff Shell had little confidence in McMahon’s ability to steer the newsroom forward, sources said.
“It makes sense for Wendy to exit now because the new management’s gonna come in and change everything,” one network insider told The Post.
Another source close to CBS said McMahon’s exit may also signal a breakthrough in the standoff with Trump.
“Wendy’s exit means the Trump lawsuit mediation must be moving quickly and a deal will be done,” the source said.
The Post reached out to CBS, McMahon and Skydance for comment.
McMahon’s controversial moves included booting “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell for a pair of relative unknowns, John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois, to helm the once-heralded program.
The program also had to backtrack from a format change that sought to offer more “60 Minutes”-like segments after it failed to cover major breaking news events.
Ratings for the last-place nightly newscast have only gotten worse, falling below an average of 4 million viewers.
Meanwhile, O’Donnell “overshadowed” the pair during the network’s coverage of Pope Francis’ death and election of Pope Leo XIV, as The Post exclusively reported.
The ratings at “CBS Mornings” – anchored by Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burelson – have also been abysmal, attracting fewer than 2 million viewers to fall further behind rivals “GMA” at ABC and NBC’s “Today” show.
Even worse, morale hit a new low after McMahon and top editorial executive Adrienne Roark reprimanded Dokoupil for his pointed interview with author Ta-Nehisi Coates about the Israel-Hamas conflict, prompting backlash over perceived threats to editorial independence.
Redstone also called out McMahon for coming down on Dokoupil.
Roark, a close McMahon ally, announced her own resignation shortly before McMahon’s ouster and is expected to join TEGNA in a senior role.
“My understanding is that the whole news division is in disarray,” said a person close to top brass. “The ratings are terrible and there’s also a problem with the question of news judgment and fairness.”
In Cheeks’ memo, he said that McMahon’s roles will be taken over by Tom Cibrowski and CBS Stations president Jennifer Mitchell, who will each report directly to him.
McMahon joined CBS News as co-president with Neeraj Khemlani in 2021 before gaining the extra responsibilities following his ouster in 2023. Previously, she worked at ABC overseeing local TV stations and streaming assets.
“This has been one of the most meaningful chapters in my career,” McMahon said in her memo.
“Leading this extraordinary organization has been the honor of a lifetime because I got to work alongside all of you. Your commitment to truth, fairness and the highest standards is unassailable.”
