Fears mount at CBS News and CNN over merger, consolidation

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Paramount’s $111-billion deal to acquire Warner Bros.Discovery will put two of the most storied journalism brands — CNN and CBS News — under one roof.The combination has been proposed before with the aim of consolidating news-gathering costs.

Those plans fell apart largely over who would be in control.But if the Paramount-WBD transaction is approved by regulators, CNN and CBS News will be forced into potentially rocky marriage where they will have to sort out leadership roles, personnel and editorial direction.It’s still too early to determine what those moves will be and how widely they will be felt.Hollywood Inc.

What the Paramount-Warner Bros.Discovery deal means for the cable network CNN.Last week CNN Chief Executive Mark Thompson told his troops to avoid “jumping to conclusions about the future.” But what is certain is that every permutation will be scrutinized closely due to the fraught relationships both CNN and CBS News have with the Trump administration.

“There have been many conversations over the years about combining CBS News and CNN,” said Jon Klein, a digital media entrepreneur who previously held leadership roles at both organizations.“But this time, it’s different.

The business case always made sense — but today you’ve got the overlay of the political agenda.”Before Paramount prevailed in its bid for CNN’s parent, Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison’s father Larry Ellison reportedly discussed changes to the network with Trump.For years, Trump has made CNN the poster child of his “fake news” claims and impugned many of its journalists.

“What has David Ellison and Larry Ellison promised Donald Trump with regard to what they’re going to do with CNN?” said one former executive.“Before you even get through the hurdles of doing this, that’s the overriding question.

Are they going to fire anchors Trump doesn’t like...