CNN chief executive Mark Thompson has met with David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance, and was asked to continue leading the news network once Paramount Skydance completes its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN's current owner, according to reports.

All signs point to Thompson staying on as CEO. In doing so, he is reportedly seeking assurances that the network will maintain its independence. It remains unclear how CNN and CBS News will function once they become corporate siblings.

Thompson addressed his future on CNN's Friday morning editorial call. He did not comment on the alleged meeting with Ellison but said: "I'm very committed to CNN and would like nothing better than to lead it into this new chapter in this new company if the circumstances are right."

The new name for the media behemoth uniting Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery was unveiled on Friday: simply Skydance. Ellison explained the choice in a social media post: "We wanted a name that would give the combined company an identity of its own while allowing Paramount and Warner Bros. — and all our extraordinary brands — to remain in the spotlight."

CNN expands events and streaming

CNN is heading to Fort Worth, Texas, partnering with Jubilee Media to host the CNN & Jubilee Town Hall with James Talarico on Wednesday, October 14, at 8 p.m. ET. Anchor Erin Burnett will moderate the live event before an audience of Democrats, Republicans, and Independent voters.

The network is also growing its digital slate. A new streaming series, Body Language by CNN, hosted by anchor and chief investigative correspondent Pamela Brown, premieres exclusively on CNN All Access on Thursday, October 8, with four new episodes. The series examines the uncomfortable, unspoken, and sometimes absurd health experiences that shape women's lives.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Brown will moderate CNN's first Health Innovation Summit in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, October 21. The summit streams on cnn.com, the CNN app, and CNN's YouTube channel, and will bring together conversations on how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping healthcare and addressing urgent sector challenges.

Fox Business rolls out a new schedule

Fox Business Network debuts a new weekday lineup on Monday, October 12, moving past Maria Bartiromo's departure. The lineup includes Big Money in the Morning, a new three-hour morning show starting at 6 a.m. ET, hosted by Dagen McDowell, Brian Brenberg, and Taylor Riggs, with Barron's Josh Schafer.

The Bottom Line, McDowell and Brenberg's previous 6 p.m. ET program, will be replaced by encore episodes of Kudlow. The noon ET show The Big Money Show adds rotating co-hosts Cheryl Casone, Marcus Lemonis, and Lou Basenese alongside current host Jackie DeAngelis. Liz Claman gets a new weekly program, Claman's Power Players, airing Friday nights at 7 p.m. ET.

Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum will moderate the latest installment of The Senate Project, co-hosted by the Kennedy Institute and the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation. Streaming on Fox Nation and foxnews.com on Monday, October 19, at 11 a.m., the edition features U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-AL) and Peter Welch (D-VT) discussing topics including their recent bipartisan efforts to curb social media's effects on youth mental health.

Fox News is also adding a new podcast, Girls, available across all platforms. It features a rotating cast of co-hosts each week, including Rachel Campos-Duffy, Harris Faulkner, Kat Timpf, newly named contributor Melissa DeRosa, and former ESPN host Samantha Ponder.

NewsNation, MS NOW and personnel moves

NewsNation is entering the podcast space with BIFF, hosted by former football coach Biff Poggi. The show explores the growing intersection of sports and money and drops an hour-long episode every Thursday on NewsNation's YouTube channel.

MS NOW is adding weekday anchor Nicolle Wallace to its weekend lineup through a monthly series in collaboration with The 92nd Street Y, New York, titled Nicolle Wallace Presents: 92NY on MS NOW. Premiering Sunday, October 4, at 8 p.m., the show offers perspectives beyond the daily news cycle with in-depth conversations featuring thought leaders, journalists, and policymakers.

BBC News is conducting final interviews in its search for a new leader. According to Deadline, acting leader Jonathan Munro, Channel 4 News editor Esme Wren, BBC director of news documentaries and long-form journalism Rachel Jupp, and Rhuanedd Richards are understood to be among the final candidates.

Harry Smith is returning to NBC News as a contributor, focusing on "Common Good" feature stories through Today, NBC Nightly News, and NBC News live events. Smith last worked at NBC News in 2024, leaving after a 12-year run.

Steven Baker is joining CBS News as a consultant, working alongside president Tom Cibrowski in a move seen to help turn around CBS This Morning and CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil. Baker previously worked as an executive producer on ABC News' Nightline.

Awards and honors

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott, and NBCUniversal Telemundo chairman Luis Fernandez were announced as inductees in the Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame class of 2026, which recognizes the pioneers, innovators, and stars who built the industry.

CNN's Nic Robertson was one of two recipients of the 2026 Ross Media Award for Reporting and Commentary on the Practice of American Diplomacy from The American Academy of Diplomacy.

With the Paramount Skydance acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery still pending, the terms of Thompson's continued leadership — and the independence he is seeking — will shape how CNN fits inside the newly named Skydance empire.