Tag: Deadline News

With just four weeks until the midterm elections, MS NOW anchors are taking their shows to key battleground states of Maine, Ohio, Georgia, Texas and Michigan.

Jen Psaki, Ali Velshi, Chris Hayes, Katy Tur and Peter Alexander will originate their shows live from a different state throughout the month, in what the network is calling the Road to the Midterms.

Psaki’s The Briefing will air at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday from Portland, Maine, where Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) is facing former state senator Troy Jackson, a Democrat.

On Oct. 13, The 11th Hour with Ali Velshi will air at 11 p.m. ET from Columbus Ohio, as Velshi, the network’s chief data reporter, speaks to voters at The Ohio State University.

Chris Hayes will take All In to Atlanta, GA on Oct. 14, with the 8 pm. ET show focusing the Senate and gubernatorial contests.

The Moment with Katy Tur will originate from Austin, TX at 2 p.m. ET on Oct. 20, with a facos on the hotly contested race between State Rep. James Talarico and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

On Oct. 27, State of Play with Peter Alexander, airing at 11 a.m. ET, will be in Detroit, MI, in a state with a close race between Abdul El-Sayed and former Rep. Mike Rogers.

Chris Jansing, chief political reporter, and Shawna Thomas, political director, will conttribute on-the-ground reporting along with Nnamdi Egwuonwu, Will McDuffie and Josh Einiger.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan denied an last-minute effort to halt Paramount‘s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, a transaction that is scheduled to close on Tuesday.

Kagan’s denial of a petition was entered into the docket without comment.

In a filing earlier on Monday, the petitioners — Pamela Faust, Len Marazzo, Lisa McCarthy, Deborah Rubinsohn and Gary Talewsky — argued that the merger was still anticompetitive, even with the conditions put in place by the settlement of the state attorneys general lawsuit last month.

“The States’ settlement itself requires that the combined company not sell or close the Paramount or Warner Bros. lots during the commitment period, provides reapplication rights to employees displaced by the transaction, and creates an editorial-independence board. Those safeguards show the magnitude of the integration that closing will unleash, but they do not preserve competition between Paramount and Warner Bros.”

RELATED: Channing Dungey Poised For Expanded Post-Merger Role Overseeing Paramount & WBD Cable Networks – The Dish

The petition was a long shot, given that the plaintiffs’ efforts to stop the merger has been rejected by the district court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The plaintiffs, represented by Joseph M. Alioto, last month sought a temporary restraining order to block the merger. But U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin, in a ruling last week, cited the plaintiffs’ “repeated failures to advance any evidence in support of their motions for preliminary relief in this case to date.” She also cited an earlier decision in which she granted Paramount’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, in which she wrote that she had “serious concerns” over the plaintiffs’ standing.

A federal appellate court denied their petition on Friday.

RELATED: Mark Thompson To Remain At CNN As Chairman Under Ellison’s Skydance

In their petition to the Supreme Court, the plaintiffs pointed to the record of transaction materials, CEO statements and consumer verifications.

Their brief stated: “The requested order is narrow: preserve separate ownership and prohibit integration pending disposition of the petition or further order. It does not decide final antitrust liability. It preserves the Court’s ability to decide the legal questions before the October 6 closing changes the competitive structure the Clayton Act is designed to protect.”

The plaintiffs described themselves as Paramount subscribers, viewers and cable customers. Their lawsuit originally was filed last spring, before the group of state attorneys general sued to block the deal. The settlement includes a consent decree that spells out a schedule of 30-plus theatrical releases per year as well as separate negotiations for the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery cable channels.

RELATED: Gerhard Zeiler’s Political Aspirations Leave Kevin MacLellan In Driver’s Seat For Top International Role At Skydance

Mark Thompson will remain at CNN as Chairman and Editor-in Chief for CNN Worldwide after Skydance closes its purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery.

The announcement Monday ends, for now, speculation about who will run the network, given that Skydance also is the parent of CBS News.

Thompson, who joined CNN in 2023, will have a slightly different title, this time as chairman and editor in chief, after he was brought in as chairman and CEO of the news organization by Warner Bros. Discovery. Since then, he has tried to more fully integrate the linear and digital newsrooms, while launching the network’s latest venture into subscription streaming, All Access. Unlike previous efforts, All Access offers nearly identical streams of the linear network lineup.

His continuation at the network is likely a relief to staffers, with months of anxieties that the network would combine with CBS News. Skydance CEO David Ellison’s father, Larry Ellison, is a major financier of the company’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, and there have additional worries that his close ties to Donald Trump would influence CNN coverage or would mean future changes. Makan Delrahim, the chief legal officer of Skydance, said at a Politico conference in August that when it came to CNN, Ellison “wanted to bring it back to news,” raising more questions about plans for the network.

But as part of its settlement of an antitrust lawsuit brought by state attorneys general, Skydance-Paramount agreed to set up an editorial independence board to oversee CNN and CBS News.

There also had been speculation that Bari Weiss, who serves as editor in chief of CBS News, would be given additional oversight over CNN. There was no announcement made about an additional role for Weiss when Skydance revealed its senior executive structure Monday. Skydance-Paramount acquired Weiss’ center-right site The Free Press when she joined the network, and she has remained as editor of that outlet as well.

“I have real confidence that they both understand and will fully support the principle and practice of the kind of independent news that CNN has always stood for,” Thompson said of the company’s new owners in a memo to staffers. “That’s why I will be leading CNN into this new chapter as it becomes one of Skydance’s suite of major media assets and global brands, and leading it as an independent Editor-in-Chief with the same responsibilities and prerogatives that I have now.”

Thompson previously was CEO of The New York Times Co. and director general of the BBC. He had already indicated that he wanted to stay at CNN after the merger closed, scheduled for Tuesday, and last week sources confirmed that Ellison was in talks with him to remain.

Thompson wrote in his memo, “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.”

He also addressed the anxieties about the network’s future, writing that “I know many of you have had trepidations about this moment. That’s understandable – indeed, as I’ve hinted before, I’ve had the odd moment or two myself!”

What’s still unclear is whether CNN will be in for a round of cost-cutting and perhaps layoffs following the merger’s close, as was the case with CBS News after Skydance acquired Paramount last year.

Thompson wrote to staffers, “The specifics of how CNN will plug into and operate in the new company have yet to be finalized – hardly surprising given that serious discussions could only begin after Paramount’s anti-trust settlement a few days ago.”

Read Thompson’s memo in full below.

Dear All,

As you know, Paramount Skydance will close its deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery tomorrow, and CNN will have new owners. Later today, the company is announcing the anticipated leadership lineup of the company which is now called Skydance. You’ll see my name on the list as Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of CNN. I’m writing to you now to explain what that means.

The specifics of how CNN will plug into and operate in the new company have yet to be finalized – hardly surprising given that serious discussions could only begin after Paramount’s anti-trust settlement a few days ago. So I can’t answer every question today. Nonetheless there are a few important things I can say:

First, I’m convinced that from David Ellison on down, Paramount Skydance leadership really does believe in news alongside entertainment as a top strategic opportunity for our new company. They’ve seen our digital strategy and are as excited about it as we are.

And second, having now spoken to them at length on the topic, I have real confidence that they both understand and will fully support the principle and practice of the kind of independent news that CNN has always stood for. That’s why I will be leading CNN into this new chapter as it becomes one of Skydance’s suite of major media assets and global brands, and leading it as an independent Editor-in-Chief with the same responsibilities and prerogatives that I have now.

I know many of you have had trepidations about this moment. 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.
We’ll make sure that everyone gets details of how to watch the actual launch of the company tomorrow.

More to come, and all the best,

Mark

Chris Wayland will succeed Valari Staab as president of NBCUniversal Local, overseeing NBC and Telemundo local stations and other outlets.

Staab disclosed her plans to retire earlier this year, and will work with Wayland in the coming weeks, with the transition before the end of the year, according to Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCU News Group.

In addition to 11 NBC stations and 31 Telemundo stations, NBCU Local also includes four regional sports networks, three national multicast networks and 17 streaming channels, along with LXTV Productions and Skycastle.

Wayland joined NBCU in 2019, and has led NBC10 Boston, Telemundo Boston and NBC Sports Boston. Conde wrote in a memo to staffers that Wayland “has been instrumental in the growth of NBC10 and was a key leader in the development and launch of the NBCUniversal Boston Media Center.”

“Chris understands the power and importance of local media, and I know he will be an outstanding leader for NBCUniversal Local,” Conde wrote.

Staab has been with NBCU for more than 15 years and has spent 46 years in local TV and journalism.

“Under her leadership, what began as 10 NBC-owned stations grew into NBCUniversal Local’s nationwide, multiplatform portfolio of 50 media properties,” Conde wrote.

“Her impact can be seen not only in the organization she helped build, but in the generations of broadcasters and leaders she has supported and developed along the way,” he wrote.

In a statement, Staab said, “What gives me the greatest confidence is knowing that Chris leads with both vision and heart. He values our people, our culture, and the relationships that have been foundational to our success.”

Wayland previously was an executive at Tribune Media, Sinbeam Television and WHDH-TV.

The Justice Department argued that Donald Trump can legally ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House because he determined that they didn’t meet the “minimum requirements of professionalism.”

Last month, a federal judge granted the three outlets a temporary restraining order that forced the White House to reinstate dozens of their reporters’ hard passes. The outlets are now asking the judge to extend that 14-day order for a longer term via a preliminary injunction, claiming that Trump’s ban is a violation of their First and Fifth amendment rights.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, has said that he is bound by the precedent set in In a 1977 D.C. Circuit opinion, Sherrill vs. Knight, in which the judges ruled that “the protection afforded newsgathering under the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of the press requires that this access not be denied arbitrarily or for less than compelling reasons.”

In a court filing on Friday, the DOJ claimed that the Sherrill case still would allow for the president to restrict the three outlets from accessing the White House grounds because the White House has a “compelling interest.”

The DOJ lawyers claimed that the Sherrill decision does not “prevent the President from concluding that bona fide journalists would identify sources instead of relying on anonymous sources, commit to factual accuracy, and provide the White House an opportunity to comment, rather than ‘perform their duties in a way that … interfere[s] with the White House’s daily operations.’ …At a bare minimum, it is a significant violation of decorum to publish classified and sensitive national security information.”

The news outlets’ legal team has rejected that assertion, writing in a filing earlier this week that Trump’s “statements also make clear he implemented the ban to coerce more favorable coverage from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, and to deter other journalists and news organizations from newsgathering and reporting that the President might view as negative. And his administration has continued to retaliate against Plaintiffs even after the temporary restraining order, only underscoring that Defendants’ motive is to punish and chill journalism they dislike.”

Even as access to the White House grounds has been reinstated, the White House has continued to restrict CNN from coverage of TV pool assignments, including travel with Trump on Air Force One.

The outlets’ lawyers, led by Theodore Boutrous Jr., also noted that Trump and other White House officials “overlooked that the First Amendment protects reporting on matters affecting national security.”

Kelly has set a hearing for Thursday on the news outlets’ motion for a preliminary injunction.

In granting a TRO, Kelly concluded that the White House failed to provide due process to the news outlets.

The DOJ has pointed to letters sent to the outlets as evidence that they were given due process. But those letters were sent on Sept. 22, four days after Trump’s ban was started.

The judge also has noted that some of the objectionable stories cited by the DOJ do not have to do with national security. Kelly wrote in his order that “even the justifications provided to Plaintiffs after this case was filed are ambiguous about the true purpose of the revocations: while Defendants’ letters to Plaintiffs mention national security concerns, they purport to identify reporting that ‘threatened national security and/or spread falsehoods’ leaving open the possibility that all the stories fall into the later bucket, rather than the former.”

The Justice Department argued that Donald Trump can legally ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House because he determined that they didn’t meet the “minimum requirements of professionalism.”

Last month, a federal judge granted the three outlets a temporary restraining order that forced the White House to reinstate dozens of their reporters’ hard passes. The outlets are now asking the judge to extend that 14-day order for a longer term via a preliminary injunction, claiming that Trump’s ban is a violation of their First and Fifth amendment rights.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, has said that he is bound by the precedent set in In a 1977 D.C. Circuit opinion, Sherrill vs. Knight, in which the judges ruled that “the protection afforded newsgathering under the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of the press requires that this access not be denied arbitrarily or for less than compelling reasons.”

In a court filing on Friday, the DOJ claimed that the Sherrill case still would allow for the president to restrict the three outlets from accessing the White House grounds because the White House has a “compelling interest.”

The DOJ lawyers claimed that the Sherrill decision does not “prevent the President from concluding that bona fide journalists would identify sources instead of relying on anonymous sources, commit to factual accuracy, and provide the White House an opportunity to comment, rather than ‘perform their duties in a way that … interfere[s] with the White House’s daily operations.’ …At a bare minimum, it is a significant violation of decorum to publish classified and sensitive national security information.”

The news outlets’ legal team has rejected that assertion, writing in a filing earlier this week that Trump’s “statements also make clear he implemented the ban to coerce more favorable coverage from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, and to deter other journalists and news organizations from newsgathering and reporting that the President might view as negative. And his administration has continued to retaliate against Plaintiffs even after the temporary restraining order, only underscoring that Defendants’ motive is to punish and chill journalism they dislike.”

Even as access to the White House grounds has been reinstated, the White House has continued to restrict CNN from coverage of TV pool assignments, including travel with Trump on Air Force One.

The outlets’ lawyers, led by Theodore Boutrous Jr., also noted that Trump and other White House officials “overlooked that the First Amendment protects reporting on matters affecting national security.”

Kelly has set a hearing for Thursday on the news outlets’ motion for a preliminary injunction.

In granting a TRO, Kelly concluded that the White House failed to provide due process to the news outlets.

The DOJ has pointed to letters sent to the outlets as evidence that they were given due process. But those letters were sent on Sept. 22, four days after Trump’s ban was started.

The judge also has noted that some of the objectionable stories cited by the DOJ do not have to do with national security. Kelly wrote in his order that “even the justifications provided to Plaintiffs after this case was filed are ambiguous about the true purpose of the revocations: while Defendants’ letters to Plaintiffs mention national security concerns, they purport to identify reporting that ‘threatened national security and/or spread falsehoods’ leaving open the possibility that all the stories fall into the later bucket, rather than the former.”