CNN staffers see Paramount merger as 'inevitable' despite legal battle delaying Ellison takeover
A delay in the looming Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery mega-merger that would put CNN under the control of David Ellison did little to quell anxieties at the struggling network.
A CNN insider told Fox News Digital that everyone they’ve spoken to feels the merger is "inevitable" and said the delay hardly lifted spirits inside the company that has seen multiple leadership changes in recent memory.
"No change in morale," the insider said. "Keep in mind the current situation is grim, so people see it as a matter of bad or worse."
Ellison’s Paramount is attempting to build a media empire of historic proportions by acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery for $111 billion. The European Union and the U.S.’ Justice Department have each signed off on the deal, with the final roadblock coming from an antitrust lawsuit led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Last week, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order (TRO), temporarily blocking the companies from closing the deal until at least August 17. Paramount then agreed to delay the deal until next year in order for the lawsuit to play out in court.
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Some staffers are concerned about the direction of the network under Ellison, while others are worried about keeping their jobs. A second CNN insider, a longtime employee, is sick of the constant speculation.
"I think most people just want whatever done, done," they told Fox News Digital.
"I've been through multiple CEOs," they continued. "I've seen very little change based on who is at the very top."
There has been a revolving door of bosses who have run CNN in recent years. From 2013 to early 2022, then-CEO Jeff Zucker reshaped the network to be adversarial to President Donald Trump, particularly during his first term in office. After his ousting as a result of an undisclosed workplace romance he had with one of his deputies, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav tapped Chris Licht, who worked as the top producer for MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and "CBS This Morning" before becoming the executive producer of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," to become Zucker's successor.
Early in his tenure, Licht made clear he wanted to dial back the left-leaning programming that dominated the network during the Zucker era. However, he struggled to earn the trust of the CNN workforce, who were fiercely loyal to Zucker — an extremely hands-on leader in comparison to Licht — and were far more aligned with Zucker's vision for the network.
Tensions came to a head in 2023 when Licht invited Trump on air for a CNN town hall, which sparked outrage among his staff and liberal viewers. Licht was publicly criticized by CNN personalities such as Christiane Amanpour and then-media reporter Oliver Darcy, while a somber Anderson Cooper told viewers he understood if they decided to ditch CNN forever. Employees got even more upset with Licht when an unflattering profile in The Atlantic revealed he told Trump to "have fun" prior to taking the stage.
Zaslav ultimately fired Licht and replaced him with CNN's current CEO Mark Thompson, who has been credited for his effective stints leading The New York Times and the BBC. However, Thompson's own future at the network remains uncertain.
It was reported that Thompson insisted "he would not share oversight of CNN with another executive" after it was reported that Bari Weiss, Ellison's handpicked editor-in-chief of CBS News, would take on an oversight position at CNN after both networks are under one corporate roof.
Thompson hasn't sparked internal strife the way Licht did, but sagging ratings, a confusing digital strategy and nonstop takeover rumors have caused continued dread within the company.
"I think, for most, things haven't been the same since Jeff Zucker left," the second CNN insider said.
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If Ellison does take control of CNN, the historic deal would come at least one year after his company acquired CBS News through a similar merger.
Things haven’t exactly gone smoothly at CBS News under Ellison, as Weiss — like Licht — has struggled to earn the trust of her staff, infuriating liberals with changes seemingly designed to make the network’s coverage less partisan.
Critics of Weiss and Ellison have accused them of bending the knee to Trump and trying to curry favor with his administration. CNN staffers now worry they will share a similar fate once Weiss and Ellison are handed the keys, though Ellison has publicly vowed that CNN will maintain its editorial independence.
The New York Times recently reported that "Ellison and his deputies are weighing whether to put Ms. Weiss in charge of CNN," adding that she could be teamed "with a more experienced TV executive who could handle the technical and financial aspects of the network."
If Weiss is given control of CNN, it would mark an awkward reunion with Anderson Cooper, the veteran CNN anchor who served as a "60 Minutes" correspondent for CBS News until he walked away from the storied newsmagazine earlier this year.
Cooper has told colleagues that "he does not want to work" for Weiss, according to the Times. CNN contributor Kara Swisher has vowed to leave the company if Ellison takes over because his "handpicked minions" are "incompetent."
The Times also noted longtime executive Amy Entelis’ office has emerged as "something of a psychiatrist’s couch for anchors and correspondents, who often drop in to air their anxieties about the looming changes."
CNN's star international correspondent Clarissa Ward passed on a long-term contract and opted to only extend her deal for one year in order to "evaluate the post-merger landscape and whether Weiss is given editorial oversight over CNN," according to Status.
The Status report noted that several of Ward's CNN colleagues have also expressed "strong reservations" about working for Weiss.
If Paramount, which insists the state AG antitrust arguments are without merit, prevails, then Ellison could possibly enlist Weiss to finish what Licht was unable to complete. But it remains to be seen if CNN staffers will play ball this time around.
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CNN declined comment when asked a series of questions, including if there is a concern that rank-and-file employees will turn on incoming leadership.
Paramount issued the following statement: "This merger is lawful, pro-competitive, and will benefit consumers, creators, workers, and the entertainment industry. We will continue to vigorously defend the transaction and will look forward to the hearings on the substance of the State AGs’ action."