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.
news network’s primetime lineup at 8:00 pm ET, debuting on October 8. For the past four years, Finnerty has been co-host of Newsmax’s “Wake-Up America” morning program with Sharla McBride. Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy says, “Rob has demonstrated success in our morning show and connects with our audience in a powerful way, and we believe he will continue that success in primetime.” Finnerty comments, “For far too long cable news has been a monolith – with very few options available to the American people, but Newsmax is proof that the model is changing, and I feel incredibly honored to be a part of that change. Ever since I got here, Newsmax has kept growing and growing, which is amazing for this industry. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I am so grateful to Newsmax and its team led by CEO Chris Ruddy.” Pictured here is Rob Finnerty as a special guest speaker at TALKERS 2024. 
McBride most recently served with CBS affiliate WUSA-TV, Washington DC where she served as a news and sports anchor. McBride says, “I am excited to join an incredibly talented team at Newsmax and look forward to bringing Americans the stories that matter each morning. It has been my dream to work for network news, and I feel my 17 years of anchoring experience have prepared me for this new role of co-hosting ‘Wake Up America.’ It’s an absolute honor!”
apologize for the pain I caused WUSA sports reporter Sharla McBride. As has been reported, I insensitively used the terms ‘Barbie,’ ‘Barbie girl,’ and ‘chick’ when talking about Ms. McBride, a fellow broadcaster who I did not know or recognize when she walked by our broadcast position. My attempts to be humorous and topical backfired, and I needlessly deprecated a professional colleague… I have reached out to Ms. McBride to apologize. When she feels ready, I hope that we can have a conversation and that I will have the opportunity to reiterate my apology to her in person. I hope that Ms. McBride and the listeners who heard me will forgive me. I am better than this, and I promise to demonstrate that going forward.”
(7/28) and terminated his employment on Saturday. iHeartMedia issued the following statement: “After an internal review, Don Geronimo is no longer an employee of WBIG. We take matters of this nature very seriously and this behavior does not align with our core values.” McBride commented to ESPN, “When I heard the comments made about me on the radio show, I felt incredibly insulted and embarrassed. In my 17 years as a professional journalist, I have never been disrespected in such a blatant manner while trying to do my job. Their words were sexist and misogynistic. No woman should experience this in the workplace, and I appreciate the Commanders’ swift response in handling this matter.” For his part, Geronimo stated via social media, “At this time I will not be providing comment on the events of the last few days. I am consulting with my advisers as to my options moving forward, including an accurate reflection of the situation.”