Wendy McMahon to step down as president and CEO of CBS News, Stations and CBS Media Ventures

Wendy McMahon announced on Monday that she will step down from her role as president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures.

McMahon, who joined CBS in 2021 and has held the CEO role since 2023, called the job one of the most meaningful of her career, but noted the past few months had been challenging. 

“It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward,” she wrote in a note to staffers. “It’s time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership.”

McMahon is departing ahead of a pending merger between parent company Paramount Global and Skydance, and amid a lawsuit filed by President Trump against the network. The suit alleges “60 Minutes” intentionally misled the public in editing an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris about her presidential candidacy — claims that the network has repeatedly said are “completely without merit.” 

The Federal Communications Commission is also investigating a complaint focused on the Harris interview, which was filed by a conservative group and alleged news distortion, a claim CBS denies.

McMahon’s departure follows that of “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens, who announced in April that he would depart at the end of the season. In a note to staffers, Owens said it had “become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it.”

Mr. Trump’s lawsuit initially demanded $10 billion in damages, which he has since increased to $20 billion.

His lawsuit claims that millions of voters “were confused and misled by the two doctored interview versions,” citing two different portions of Harris’ response to the same question about conflicts in the Middle East. One aired in an early excerpt on “Face the Nation,” while the other appeared in the full “60 Minutes” broadcast.

“Former President Trump’s repeated claims against 60 Minutes are false,” the network’s statement said. “The Interview was not doctored or deceitful.”

The lawsuit, filed in a Texas district where the lone judge was appointed by Mr. Trump in 2019, attempts to employ a consumer protection law. It’s viewed as “frivolous” and an infringement on First Amendment rights by legal experts. 

Mediation has begun between Paramount and Mr. Trump’s legal team.