Ellison Inherits CNN Profit Engine Worth $650 Million as Editorial Risks Shadow Merger
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 5
Ellison Inherits CNN Profit Engine Worth $650 Million as Editorial Risks Shadow Merger
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 5
Summary
$650 million in projected annual net profit gives CNN financial heft in David Ellison’s merged media empire, even as he tries to avoid a fight over its editorial direction by keeping chief executive Mark Thompson.
Trump’s pressure sharpens that challenge: the president has long attacked CNN for bias and barred its journalists from the White House pool last month, while Ellison’s ties to Trump fuel scrutiny over possible influence.
Viewership and digital growth remain weak spots. CNN trails MS NOW in audience, its subscription news service is only beginning to expand in Britain and Canada, and Skydance has not disclosed paying-user figures.
An independent editorial oversight board—promised in a settlement with state attorneys general who challenged the merger—has yet to be detailed, leaving open questions about how much protection CNN’s newsroom will actually have.