Billionaire's Bold Vision for CNN Sparks Internal Chatter
Larry Ellison, the billionaire founder of Oracle and father of Paramount owner David Ellison, has reportedly proposed significant changes for CNN, including the dismissal of prominent anchors, should his son successfully acquire its parent company, Warner Bros Discovery (WBD).
According to a recent report, the 81-year-old tech magnate specifically singled out hosts Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar during telephone conversations with White House officials. Sources indicate that Ellison's reasoning stemmed from the fact that both journalists are not favoured by former President Donald Trump.
Potential Programming Shake-up and Acquisition Battle
Beyond personnel changes, Ellison also reportedly contemplated a major programming shift. The idea floated involved moving the long-standing CBS News flagship programme, 60 Minutes, over to CNN. This is particularly notable as CBS News's parent company, Paramount, was recently purchased by his son, David Ellison, with Larry's financial backing.
The report, published on a Thursday, immediately sent ripples through CNN's New York headquarters at Hudson Yards. This comes at a critical juncture, as David Ellison has entered an unspecified bid for the entire WBD portfolio. Intriguingly, the Ellisons are the only prospective bidders who wish to retain CNN as part of the deal; other interested parties, such as Comcast and Netflix, are said to prefer spinning off the cable network to focus on more lucrative assets like the Warner Bros. movie studio and HBO.
Political Connections and Corporate Influence
Larry Ellison, a well-known Republican donor who has contributed to Trump's 2024 campaign, does not hold a formal position at Paramount. However, his influence is substantial as the company's primary shareholder and the fourth-richest man in the world, with a net worth approaching $200 billion.
The anchors in question, Burnett, 49, and Keilar, 45, have both been with CNN for over a decade and have a history of critical reporting on Trump. Just days before the report emerged, Burnett used her primetime show to challenge Trump on his statements regarding Jeffrey Epstein, while Keilar hosted a Democratic congressman to criticise what were described as 'outrageous' comments from the former president.
This potential acquisition follows David Ellison's recent takeover of Paramount and his appointment of former New York Times editor Bari Weiss as CBS News' chief. Ellison has previously pledged to shed political connotations from the company, a move that followed a $16 million settlement of a lawsuit with Donald Trump concerning a 'deceptively edited' 60 Minutes interview.
