CBS News President Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews to Step Down

CBS News President Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews to Step Down - The New York Times

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CBS News President to Step Down

Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, who ascended to the role last year, will be a senior adviser on coverage through the presidential election.

Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, the CBS News president, announced on Wednesday that she would step down from her role in the next few weeks and would move into a senior adviser role through the presidential election.

In a memo to employees, Ms. Ciprian-Matthews suggested she was leaving the position before the network’s parent, Paramount Global, began widespread job cuts.

“We all know our industry and company are going through a transformation and a number of short- and long-term decisions need to be made,” she said. “I do not want to be disingenuous with any of you about who should drive these decisions.”

Ms. Ciprian-Matthews will leave the company after the election.

Earlier this week, Paramount Global announced it would merge with Skydance, a long-awaited move for Paramount, which has been in dire financial straits as the traditional cable bundle continues to unravel. The new leadership team that will take over Paramount after the deal closes — which is not expected until some time next year — has announced that it wants to find $2 billion in cost savings.

The interim team in charge of Paramount until the merger closes said they were looking to make an immediate $500 million in cuts. Those cuts, which will include widespread layoffs, are expected to begin later this summer.

Ms. Ciprian-Matthews began in her role last year, though she has spent more than three decades at CBS News. Wendy McMahon, the chief executive of CBS News, Stations and CBS Media Ventures, told employees on Wednesday that Ms. Ciprian-Matthews would be the “senior editorial adviser guiding our political coverage through the election.”

Ms. McMahon did not announce a new president, but said “we will share more updates soon.”

The role of the broadcast news president has diminished in recent years, with newsroom leaders often reporting to more business-minded executives.

John Koblin covers the television industry. He is the co-author of “It’s Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO.” More about John Koblin

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