Mark Thompson to Remain CNN Chief After Skydance Takes Over Warner Bros. Discovery

Mark Thompson will stay on as chairman and editor-in-chief of CNN Worldwide after Skydance assumes ownership of Warner Bros. Discovery, the combined company said Monday. The merger takes effect Tuesday, October 6, 2026. Thompson, who reports directly to Skydance executives David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz, said he secured assurances that editorial independence will be preserved. He added that CNN's operational structure within the combined company remains undetermined. CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss will also keep her role, and CNN and CBS News will operate separately for now, though some integration is expected. The deal drew political and legal scrutiny; the Justice Department cleared it in June, and a federal judge approved a settlement with 12 state attorneys general last month. That settlement requires Skydance to seat a five-member board safeguarding editorial independence within six months of closing. Thompson previously led the BBC and The New York Times Company before joining CNN in 2023.