Paramount denies Bari Weiss may cede control over CBS News

Paramount is flatly denying a report that Bari Weiss could lose control over key CBS News broadcasts amid mounting turmoil inside the network’s news division.The company issued a statement Tuesday insisting Weiss retains the “full support” of Paramount and Skydance boss David Ellison after Puck reported that executives had privately discussed scaling back her authority over “60 Minutes,” “CBS Evening News” and “CBS Mornings.”“Bari has the full support of Paramount and David Ellison as the editorial leader overseeing CBS News and 60 Minutes,” a Paramount spokesperson told The Post.“Reports suggesting otherwise are inaccurate.”When pressed by The Post on whether Paramount was specifically denying discussions about having Weiss cede authority over marquee CBS News programs, Paramount chief communications officer Melissa Zukerman responded directly via email: “yes we are denying and the Puck report is false.”The denial came after Puck reported that Paramount executives had quietly begun reconsidering the breadth of Weiss’ authority following months of internal backlash, negative press and growing concern inside CBS News over her management style.According to Puck, discussions inside Paramount involved potentially reducing Weiss’ direct oversight of CBS News’ linear television operations while shifting her focus toward digital strategy and broader editorial priorities.Puck reported that some executives privately believed Weiss had been handed “too broad” a mandate despite lacking traditional television management experience.The report also said insiders inside CBS News and “60 Minutes” viewed Weiss as “drastically overstretched” while struggling to manage the demands of the network.The mounting scrutiny around Weiss comes as tensions continue to engulf “60 Minutes,” where staffers have grown alarmed by what many view as unprecedented editorial interference inside the famously independent newsmagazine.Weiss, the founder ...