People

Confusion and anxiety reigned at a CBS-Politico joint party Saturday ahead of the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, with staffers shocked at news that Bob Bakish, CEO of parent Paramount Global, is set to exit abruptly as early as Monday morning. There have been rumblings about Bakish for days as the company enters the final stretch of exclusive merger negotiations with David Ellison’s Skydance. But his imminent departure triggered a wave of anxious speculation Saturday night in D.C.

Even though Ellen DeGeneres is looking back at her talk show with a sense of humor, she can’t deny that her unceremonious exit left deep wounds.

Comcast said chairman and chief executive Brian Roberts’ pay package for 2023 totaled $35.47 million, up from $32 million the year before. It included a $2.5 million base salary, stock awards valued at about $15 million, $9.2 million in option awards and $8.55 million in what’s called non-equity incentive plan compensation (like a cash bonus).

Poppy Harlow, who has been with CNN since 2008, is exiting the network. Harlow announced her decision in a memo to colleagues. She was offered a new role following the cancellation of CNN This Morning, but instead decided to leave, the network confirmed.

The Los Angeles Times newsroom continues to feel the invisible hand of owner Patrick Soon-Shiong in coverage of his pharma research, home page choices and in pushing for livestream video.

From Glee to The Golden Bachelor, Empire to The Dropout, Arrested Development to Abbott Elementary and 24 to 9-1-1, Shannon Ryan has played a critical role in the launch of countless TV
series over the past three decades. Now president of marketing for Disney Entertainment Television, Ryan oversees marketing, publicity and communications for an unprecedented portfolio of more than 200 active series at any given time across Hulu, ABC, National Geographic, Disney Channel, Onyx Collective, Freeform and other platforms.

Netflix is investing in Leanne Morgan. The streamer has handed out a 16-episode, straight-to-series order for an untitled multicamera comedy starring the stand-up comedian. Comedy kingpin Chuck Lorre (Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men) co-created the series alongside Morgan and Susan McMartin.

Paramount and Skydance are inching closer towards a potential merger that would see David Ellison’s media company buy out Paramount’s controlling shareholder Shari Redstone. According to individuals with knowledge of the talks, Skydance has agreed as part of a potential merger deal to infuse between $4.5 and $5 billion of fresh capital into Paramount, $2 billion of which would be used to buy Redstone’s shares and to settle the company’s debts. Ellison would become CEO of Paramount, replacing current CEO Bob Bakish, with former NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell serving as president.

The assistant news director at WXIA Atlanta will be recognized at RTDNA24 in Milwaukee, June 12-14.

Advocating for her press corps colleagues has become a second full-time job for NBC News’ senior White House correspondent.