A significant step forward…
A recent report from the New York Times signals that the parent of CBS News, who are set to begin mediation on Wednesday are increasingly inclined to settle the matter.
CBS News’ parent company, Paramount Global, is currently in a legal battle against President Donald Trump, who filed a now-$20 billion lawsuit last year (it was initially $10 billion) alleging election interference over the network’s handling of its “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
The New York Times reports:
In an April 18 meeting, the Paramount board outlined acceptable financial terms for a potential settlement with the president, according to three people with knowledge of the internal discussions. The exact dollar amounts remain unclear, but the board’s move clears a path for an out-of-court resolution.
Shari Redstone, the company’s controlling shareholder, has said she favors settling the case. She is set to receive a major payday in a pending sale of Paramount to a Hollywood studio, Skydance, that requires sign-off from the Trump administration. Any settlement would ultimately require the board’s approval, and Ms. Redstone has told the board that she is recusing herself from deliberations related to the lawsuit.
Paramount’s interest in settling has dismayed CBS’s news division, in particular the staff of “60 Minutes,” the country’s most popular weekly news program. Four days after the April 18 board meeting, the show’s executive producer, Bill Owens, abruptly announced he would resign, citing encroachment on its journalistic independence and saying Paramount “is done with me.”
Owens’ abrupt resignation has sent shockwaves through the industry.
CBS News staffers have been “on edge” since the abrupt departure of “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens, according to a network insider.
“Everyone is talking about it, even today,” the CBS staffer told Fox News Digital on Monday, nearly a week after Owens announced his departure.
In a memo sent to colleagues, Owens suggested his decision was brought upon by corporate overreach he said impacted his ability to maintain an independent newsroom.
“Over the past months, it has also become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it. To make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience,” Owens wrote in the memo. “So, having defended this show – and what we stand for – from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward.”
