New Skydance Company in Control of CNN
The merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery became official today as the companies come together under the new moniker Skydance, led by CEO David Ellison. The new company also includes the two news divisions CBS News and CNN. TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison (right inside) was a guest this morning (10/6) on Newsmax TV’s “Wake Up America” program co-hosted by Mark Lotter (l) and Sharla McBride (r) along with veteran journalist Dennis Kneale (left inside) to provide analysis about what the merger will mean to CNN’s programming. The question was: will the change of ownership push CNN’s programming to the “center” or “right?” Harrison said that “ratings and revenue” will ultimately determine CNN’s political positioning regardless of who owns it. He explained – from an industry programming perspective – it is a mistake to assume that like-minded TV news channels are allies. You can see the Newsmax segment here.
founder Michael Harrison on WPRO, Providence’s “The News with Gene Valicenti” discussing the shutdown of CBS News Radio. The two seasoned broadcasters took an analytical look at the past 100 years of broadcast journalism – from Edward R. Murrow to modern times – comparing the role and impact of early day giants such as William S. Paley (CBS), David Sarnoff (NBC), and John W. Kluge (Metromedia) to today’s crop of moguls including the Ellison family’s Larry Ellison (Oracle) and his son David Ellison (Skydance Media) who now control Paramount, CBS, and a variety of other media and technological ventures.