Ellison Leaves His Mark

On Monday morning, shortly after 9:00 a.m., CNN chief Mark Thompson emailed staffers with an important announcement: After several days of discussions with David Ellison and the incoming Skydance team, he had decided to remain at the helm of the network. In his memo, Thompson said he had become “convinced” that Ellison and Skydance “believe in news alongside entertainment as a top strategic opportunity” and that he has “real confidence” they will support the “kind of independent news that CNN has always stood for.”

“I know many of you have had trepidations about this moment,” Thompson acknowledged in the memo, a copy of which was obtained by Status. “That’s understandable—indeed, as I’ve hinted before, I’ve had the odd moment or two myself! But I want to say that on the eve of the acquisition of CNN by Paramount Skydance, I find myself in a very positive frame of mind. I really do believe we’ll be working alongside a team who don’t just have real vision and real energy, but real values as well.”

Soon after, Thompson’s name appeared in Skydance’s press release unveiling the finalized leadership team for the company, and a slew of stories followed noting that he had agreed to remain at the network. Certainly, the announcement put to rest the rampant speculation over who would immediately lead CNN under Ellison’s ownership—and dealt a blow to Bari Weiss, who was initially slated to expand her portfolio to include the global news powerhouse.