Bari Weiss’ CBS News ‘Train Wreck;’ Disney Boss Faces Trump Test; Don Jr. the Next ‘Apprentice’?
Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon PassantinoShow Notes
Power Lines is the official podcast of Status, where veteran journalists Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino deliver sharp media industry analysis every Friday.
On today’s episode:
CBS News is facing mounting turmoil as new ratings data shows “CBS Evening News” and “CBS Mornings” hitting historic lows under Bari Weiss’ leadership, Meanwhile, Weiss has ousted the network’s foreign editor after comparing the network's coverage to a terrorist group. Then, Donald Trump is demanding ABC fire Jimmy Kimmel, but Disney is finding unlikely support from MAGA. Plus, Amazon is discussing a reboot of “The Apprentice” with Donald Trump Jr. as host—what Jeff Bezos is really trying to accomplish.
0:00 Intro 1:47 CBS News Hits Historic Low Ratings Under Bari Weiss 12:17 Weiss Ousts Foreign Editor Over Terror Group Comparison 21:20 Trump Demands ABC Fire Jimmy Kimmel, MAGA Sides With Disney 33:19 Amazon Talks "The Apprentice" Reboot With Don Jr. 42:09 Open Lines: Oliver and Jon Answer Your Questions
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More from Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino
On today’s episode:
In a special episode of Power Lines, we publish exclusive audio from a stunning all-hands meeting in which Bari Weiss' handpicked foreign editor, Shayndi Raice, unleashed a lengthy tirade against her own CBS News journalists.
After completing his acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Ellison is facing questions about his relationship with Donald Trump and his plans for CNN. Jon shares what happened when he pressed Ellison directly on the Paramount lot, and Oliver reports on Anderson Cooper’s pointed questions for his new boss at an internal company town hall.
The future of CNN is coming into focus…at least for now. David Ellison has opened talks with Mark Thompson about extending his tenure as CNN’s chief. Oliver and Jon break down what the move signals to employees inside the network, what it could mean for CNN’s direction under Ellison, and where it leaves Bari Weiss, both now and down the road.
The anonymous source behind one of the stories that the White House used to justify its press ban was none other than JD Vance himself. We detail our exclusive reporting and get into the latest developments on Donald Trump’s war against the media.