New York (AFP) – The CEO of CBS News, one of America’s best-known broadcast media outlets, quit Monday citing a “challenging” last few months as the network became embroiled in legal and business tensions with the Trump administration. US President Donald Trump is suing CBS owner and media giant Paramount for $20 billion in damages over the contents of a pre-election interview last year with his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris. Legal experts have argued the lawsuit is baseless, and would be an easy legal victory for CBS if it ever went to court, per constitutional protections for freedom of the press. Paramount nevertheless entered into mediation in a bid to placate Trump as it seeks to close an $8 billion merger with the entertainment company Skydance, which needs federal government approval.
“The past few months have been challenging,” CEO Wendy McMahon wrote in a goodbye letter to staff. “It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward. It’s time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership,” she said. Trump alleges an interview with Harris on CBS’s “60 Minutes” program last year was edited to remove an embarrassing response. Many legal analysts maintain the suit is part of a broader assault on press freedom that has seen Trump bar some journalists from the Oval Office and sue other media organizations over their coverage.
In a message to CBS News staff, Paramount CEO George Cheeks confirmed McMahon’s resignation and thanked her for her leadership. CNBC meanwhile reported that Cheeks spoke with McMahon Saturday and asked for her resignation, citing people familiar with the matter. The executive producer of “60 Minutes,” veteran journalist Bill Owens, resigned last month, citing what he said were attacks on his independence in running the show. Award-winning television newsmagazine broadcast “60 Minutes,” which pulls around 10 million viewers weekly, is a leading target of Trump’s offensive against the media. The program has continued to air investigations critical of the Trump administration since his return to the White House. In response, Trump has called for its cancellation, while his billionaire advisor Elon Musk has said he hoped the team behind “60 Minutes” would receive long prison sentences.
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