The president and CEO of CBS News said Monday that she is stepping down, marking the second high-profile departure from the organization within the past month as it contends with a $20 billion lawsuit from President Donald Trump and a high-profile merger.
Wendy McMahon, who took over the stalwart news brand in 2023, said in a memo that her time atop the company has been “a privilege and joy,” but that the past few months had been “challenging.”
“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. “It’s time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership.”
George Cheeks, president and CEO of CBS, in a separate memo did not address McMahon’s comments on a path forward.
“On a personal note, I want to thank Wendy for her partnership over the past four years,” Cheeks wrote. “Under her leadership, the competitive position and culture at our television stations have improved dramatically, and we’ve expanded local news significantly. Our streaming news platforms — national and local — are stronger and growing, with digital extensions now in place for several of our flagship CBS News broadcasts.”
McMahon’s departure comes just weeks after Bill Owens, the longtime top producer at “60 Minutes,” left after he said the newsmagazine had lost its journalistic independence.
The tumult at CBS News arrives as its parent company, Paramount Global, is attempting to secure approval of an $8 billion merger with the media production company Skydance.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
