Confusion and nervousness reigned at a CBS-Politico joint celebration at the moment forward of the annual White Home Correspondents’ Dinner, with staffers shocked at information that Bob Bakish, CEO of mum or dad Paramount International, is about to exit abruptly as early as Monday morning.
There have been rumblings about Bakish for days as the corporate enters the ultimate stretch of unique merger negotiations with David Ellison’s Skydance. However his imminent departure set tongues wagging tonight in Washington, D.C. Ellison has at all times been largely within the film studio and historic lot. Though it appears Skydance does plan to maintain the corporate intact, no less than for a time, community of us aren’t betting on it and had been angsty about the way forward for CBS, and about who is perhaps operating Paramount International in a number of quick days — a troika of high execs, a brand new chief government?
“We knew adjustments had been coming, however nobody anticipated Bob to go so quick. Who is aware of what’s subsequent?” a Paramount International government informed Deadline on the celebration. Staffers speculated on CBS being bought, on it being turned over to Jeff Zucker to run, and different potentialities. Zucker heads up a three way partnership between RedBird Capital, considered one of Skydance’s backers, and an Emirati funding fund.
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison can be a backer and key to any deal. A couple of from CBS expressed apprehension on the billionaire’s ties with Donald Trump. (In line with studies, he has not donated something to the Republican presidential candidate this marketing campaign cycle. David Ellison simply gave almost $1 million to Joe Biden).
Bakish has not been in favor of the Skydance deal, in response to sources.
Shari Redstone, who controls Paramount although her household holding firm NAI, put Bakish accountable for a mixed ViacomCBS in 2019. She can be mentioned have turn into disillusioned together with his management of the renamed Paramamount International