Ticker: CNN Boss Mark Thompson Meets With New Owners About Future
Top of the Ticker: There may be some clarity regarding CNN head Mark Thompson’s position once Paramount Skydance completes its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s current owner. All signs point to Thompson sticking around as CEO, as reports say he met with David Ellison, the CEO of the new conglomerate, and was asked to continue leading the news network.
In staying with CNN, Thompson is reportedly seeking assurances that the network will maintain its independence. It remains unclear how CNN and CBS News will function once they become corporate siblings.
During CNN’s Friday morning editorial call, Thompson did not address the alleged meeting with Ellison but did say, “I’m very committed to CNN and would like nothing better than to lead it into this new chapter in this new company if the circumstances are right.”
Meanwhile, the new name for the media behemoth uniting Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery was unveiled on Friday, and it will be simply known as Skydance. Ellison said in a social media post, “We wanted a name that would give the combined company an identity of its own while allowing Paramount and Warner Bros. — and all our extraordinary brands — to remain in the spotlight.”
In other news, CNN is heading down to Fort Worth, Texas, partnering with Jubilee Media to host the CNN & Jubilee Town Hall with James Talarico on Wednesday, October 14, at 8 p.m. ET. CNN anchor Erin Burnett will moderate the live event before a live audience of Democrats, Republicans, and Independent voters.
CNN continues to expand its digital offerings, announcing a new streaming series Body Language by CNN, hosted by anchor and chief investigative correspondent Pamela Brown. Premiering exclusively on CNN All Access on Thursday, October 8, with four new episodes, the series looks at the uncomfortable, unspoken, and sometimes absurd health experiences that shape women’s lives.
Finally, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Brown will moderate CNN’s first Health Innovation Summit in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, October 21. The summit, which will stream on cnn.com, the CNN app, and CNN’s YouTube channel, will bring together timely conversations on how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping healthcare and addressing some of the sector’s most urgent challenges.
New schedule: Fox Business Network is moving past Maria Bartiromo’s departure, debuting a new weekday lineup on Monday, October 12, including a new three-hour morning show, Big Money in the Morning, starting at 6 a.m. ET, hosted by Dagen McDowell, Brian Brenberg, and Taylor Riggs, with Barron’s Josh Schafer. McDowell and Brenberg’s previous 6 p.m. ET program, The Bottom Line, will be replaced by encore episodes of Kudlow. The noon ET show The Big Money Show is adding rotating co-hosts Cheryl Casone, Marcus Lemonis, and Lou Basenese alongside current host Jackie DeAngelis. Additionally, Liz Claman gets a new weekly program airing Friday night at 7 p.m. ET, entitled Claman’s Power Players.
Meanwhile, Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum will moderate the latest installment of the ongoing series, The Senate Project, co-hosted by the Kennedy Institute and the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation. Streaming on Fox Nation and foxnews.com on Monday, October 19, at 11 a.m., this edition features U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-AL) and Peter Welch (D-VT) discussing timely topics, including their recent bipartisan efforts to curb social media’s effects on youth mental health.
Over on the podcast side, Fox News is adding a new podcast, the Girls, now available across all platforms, featuring a rotating cast of co-hosts each week, including Rachel Campos-Duffy, Harris Faulkner, Kat Timpf, newly named Fox News contributor Melissa DeRosa, and former ESPN host Samantha Ponder in a free-flowing conversation that can go anywhere.
Biff deal: NewsNation is adding to the podcast party by launching a new podcast, BIFF, hosted by former football coach Biff Poggi. The new show, which explores the growing intersection of sports and money, drops an hour-long episode every Thursday on NewsNation’s YouTube channel.
Monthly addition: Weekday anchor Nicolle Wallace is joining MS NOW’s weekend lineup via a monthly series in collaboration with The 92nd Street Y, New York, titled Nicolle Wallace Presents: 92NY on MS NOW. Premiering on Sunday, October 4, at 8 p.m., this new show will offer distinct perspectives beyond the daily news cycle and feature in-depth conversations with thought leaders, journalists, and policymakers.
Awards and Honors: CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer and Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott were announced as inductees in the Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame class of 2026, recognizing the pioneers, innovators, and stars who have built the industry. Also inducted was NBCUniversal Telemundo chairman Luis Fernandez.
Meanwhile, CNN’s Nic Robertson was one of two recipients of the 2026 Ross Media Award for Reporting and Commentary on the Practice of American Diplomacy from The American Academy of Diplomacy.
Revolving Door: BBC News is conducting final interviews as it searches for its new leader. According to Deadline, acting leader Jonathan Munro, Channel 4 News editor Esme Wren, Rachel Jupp, the BBC’s director of news documentaries and long-form journalism, and Rhuanedd Richards are understood to be among the final candidates.
Harry Smith is returning to NBC News as a contributor, focusing on “Common Good” feature stories through Today, NBC Nightly News, and NBC News live events. Smith was last with NBC News in 2024, leaving after a 12-year run.
Steven Baker is joining CBS News as a consultant, working alongside CBS News president Tom Cibrowski in a move seen to help turn the fortunes of CBS This Morning and CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil. Baker previously worked on ABC News’ Nightline as an executive producer.
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