Wendy McMahon Named Sole Leader Of CBS News And Stations, Will Also Oversee Domestic Syndication
Wendy McMahon will take on sole duties leading CBS News and stations while adding oversight of the network’s domestic syndication business.
Her title will be president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures. The appointment follows the announcement on Sunday that Neeraj Khemlani would step down from CBS News leadership and take a production deal with the network. He and McMahon were named presidents and co-heads of CBS News and stations in 2021, following a two year run of Susan Zirinsky leading the news division.
More from Deadline
The network said that in the new role, McMahon will now lead all of CBS News’ broadcast and streaming operations, 27 local television stations in major U.S. markets, 14 local news streaming channels and CBS Media Ventures first-run syndication programming. She also will oversee content licensing to television stations and the division’s national advertising sales business.
After Khemlani announced his departure in a memo to staffers, speculation immediately centered on McMahon as taking sole responsibility for the divisions, which were combined two years ago as the network sought to boost its national and local streaming news offerings. Steven LoCascio, current president of CBS Media Ventures, announced plans on Monday to retire at the end of his current contract.
George Cheeks, president and CEO of CBS, said in a statement, “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. She is a dynamic leader with clear vision who generates forward momentum in every business she touches.”
Before joining CBS, McMahon was president of ABC Owned Television Stations Group, overseeing eight broadcast stations, local newsrooms and streaming assets. She also had been senior vice president of ABC News Digital, and served as vice president of marketing at KABC in Los Angeles.
Her oversight of CBS’s syndication business includes shows such as Jeopardy!, Wheel Of Fortune and Entertainment Tonight as well as newer entries Hot Bench and The Drew Barrymore Show. But popular shows like Judge Judy, Dr. Phil and Rachael Ray have all ended their runs in recent years.
During their tenure as co-heads, McMahon and Khemlani expanded and rebranded CBS News’s streaming offerings while retooling its morning news show, now CBS Mornings. McMahon has concentrated on local markets, including expanding local news coverage. The Los Angeles station, for example, started a morning news franchise. McMahon also dealt with the fallout following an external probe of racist and abusive behavior, as top executives Peter Dunn and David Friend exited.
McMahon takes sole leadership of the news division at a time when all networks are grappling with the transition from linear audiences, and Paramount Global has been cutting costs overall.
McMahon said in a statement, “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.”
Best of Deadline
SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreements: List Of Movies And Series Granted Waivers
2023 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming
Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
