CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon announced on Monday that she is stepping down from the news network, making her the second person to depart from CBS amid a lawsuit from President Donald Trump.
“It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward,” McMahon wrote in a memo to CBS News staff, obtained by HuffPost. “It’s time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership.”
Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS News, is trying to complete an $8 billion merger with media production group Skydance Media, which requires federal approval. Paramount is trying to settle the $20 billion lawsuit with Trump, seemingly upsetting some at CBS News, including Bill Owens, who stepped down as one of “60 Minutes” top producers last month.
Owens said the show had lost its journalistic independence.
“Over the past months, it has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it, to make independent decisions based on what was right for ‘60 Minutes,’ right for the audience,” Owens said in the memo. “So, having defended this show — and what we stand for — from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward.”
