Skydance's media executive Jeff Shell has pressured CBS News Brass to release a “60 Minutes” transcript ahead of the company's merger with network parent Paramount Global.
Shell, who will grab the reins as president of the merged company, pushed CBS News chief Wendy McMahon and “60 Minutes” boss Bill Owens to release a transcript of his sitdown with then-President Vies Kamala Harris in a call from then-president Donald Trump. It has been reported Tuesday.
Shell called the meeting last October, and while Trump benefited Democrat challengers by claiming that “60 Minutes” had “seemly edited” Harris' interview, McMahon and Owens retreated and convinced executives that folding under political rpessure would be a bad move.
The meeting was shaken by McMahon and Owens by inserting shells into newsroom decisions, given that the merger has not yet been closed, the report said. They also felt that the Tiffany Network should simply appease Trump as the former NBCuniversal CEO claimed there was no foul play in Harris' interview.
Trump eventually sued CBS to release the transcript, and recently raised his claim for damages to $20 billion, which he quickly concluded his presidency. Determining whether the merger will pass, Trump's Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Kerr put pressure on the network to release a transcript he did in February.
Since then, Shell and current Paramount boss Shari Redstone have put pressure on the network to resolve the lawsuit with Trump, despite “60 minutes” not revealing the doctor.
The case is now in front of a mediator, and he is fostering debate between both sides about possible settlements.
Both Shell and Redstone want a deal, but Owens and McMahon believe they've done nothing wrong, and the cave to Trump will undermine the integrity of “60 minutes” journalism. Additionally, Owens has made it clear that he will not apologise as part of the settlement.
Some insiders wondered if the “60 Minute” executive producer could be on the chopping block, while others dispelled the concept.
Meanwhile, McMahon has also expressed resistance behind the scenes, but told sources that once the deal goes green light, her job could be on top due to some failures.
Network staff balked the concept of settlement with Trump and expressed their concerns even if Kerr opened an investigation into Harris's editorial and opened it for public comments.
The pushbacks from McMahon and Owens are in contrast to the number of other media and tech leaders in recent months. Disney CEO Bob Iger moved to resolve the defamation lawsuit Trump filed against ABC News, but both Mark Zuckerberg's Meta and Elon Musk's X settled the suit with Trump.
