CBS News President Steps Down Amid Parent Company Paramount Merges With Skydance

Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews attends the 2023 CPJ International Press Freedom Awards at The Glasshouse in New York on Nov. 16, 2023. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

CBS News President Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews announced her resignation after less than a year in her role.

Her resignation on Wednesday came just days after CBS parent company Paramount Global announced its merger with production company Skydance Media, and the expected layoffs.

Ms. Ciprian-Matthews, who joined CBS News as a senior producer in 1993, said changes are likely to occur across the company.

“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 wrote. “I do not want to be disingenuous with any of you about who should drive these decisions.”

She also agreed to transition to a new role as a senior editorial adviser until the 2024 presidential election.

The broadcast network news president’s job was once one of the most powerful jobs in journalism, but the position is evolving into a secondary role under a corporate-appointed manager. In the case of CBS, Ms. Ciprian-Matthews has reported to Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News and Stations.

The merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media is expected to be closed in the first half of next year.

After the merger, Skydance CEO David Ellison will become chairman and CEO of New Paramount. Jeff Shell, former CEO of NBC Universal, will be president.

“We are committed to energizing the business and bolstering Paramount with contemporary technology, new leadership, and a creative discipline that aims to enrich generations to come,” Mr. Ellison said earlier this month in a press release.

Paramount’s more than 100-year history includes ownership of numerous media brands, including CBS, MTV, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+, and Showtime.

Other Media Struggles

Many media organizations, including CNN, have struggled in recent years to grow audiences and revenue, resulting in the need to diversify their offerings to consumers.

CNN CEO Mark Thompson announced on Wednesday its plans to cut approximately 100 jobs.

Mr. Thompson, who was appointed last August to modernize the 40-year-old news network, sent staffers a memo outlining its plans to move from a cable subscription model in the digital age. The network expects to launch its first digital subscriptions by the end of the year.

He said the layoffs affect about 3 percent of the network’s total workforce of around 3,500 people. In an effort to minimize the total layoffs, open roles were closed wherever possible, and laid-off employees would be eligible for severance packages.

The executive said the company’s digital strategy must be “ambitious enough to deliver the audiences and the revenue we need to maintain our unique journalistic firepower and succeed as a business.”

Mr. Thompson said CNN will create more subscription-ready products that offer news and other content in new formats, aiming to keep users on the website for longer periods.

Historically, the company’s digital products were focused on text articles, but Mr. Thompson indicated a shift to more video content offerings.