Paramount Global has elevated Wendy McMahon to the role of president and chief executive at CBS News and Stations as well as CBS Media Ventures, the company announced on Monday.
The announcement comes several days after news reports surfaced that indicated McMahon’s former co-executive of CBS News and Stations, Neeraj Khemlani, would resign from the news division.
CBS News and Stations is the sector involving 27 CBS owned-and-operated local broadcast stations, as well as their newsrooms. CBS Media Ventures is the general entertainment syndicate portion of the CBS television business, and includes shows like “Wheel of Fortune,” “Jeopardy!” and “Entertainment Tonight.”
“At every turn since joining CBS, Wendy has used her unique skill set as an innovator, business operator and people leader to energize operations, support our best-in-class journalism and position CBS for its multiplatform future,” George Cheeks, the president and CEO of CBS, said in a statement. “She is a dynamic leader with clear vision who generates forward momentum in every business she touches. I’m excited for the future of CBS News, our local stations and our valuable syndication franchises under her leadership.”
“It’s an honor to be entrusted to lead as venerated an organization as CBS News, and I’m inspired to continue to support the world’s greatest journalists at this critical moment for our profession,” McMahon said. “I’m also excited to work with the number one team in first-run syndication at CBS Media Ventures. I am fortunate to have thousands of talented, dedicated colleagues across these teams to continue the top-notch journalism and productions our viewers expect from CBS.”
McMahon joined CBS from the Walt Disney Company’s ABC Owned Television Stations group, where she was in charge of eight owned-and-operated television stations. She also oversaw ABC News Digital in that role.
Khemlani will remain at the company, where he will begin a first-look deal to produce documentaries, scripted series and other programming for CBS, as well as books for Paramount’s publishing division Simon & Schuster.
