CNN Talent Fretting Over Looming Merger Turn Exec’s Office into ‘Psychiatrist’s Couch’: Report

(Evan Agostini/Invision/AP photo)

CNN employees are fretting so badly about a looming merger they’ve reportedly turned an executive’s office into a “psychiatrist’s couch.”

The New York Times’ Michael M. Grynbaum and Benjamin Mullin reported on the heightened anxieties over at CNN as a $111 billion merger between David Ellison’s Paramount-Skydance and CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to be finalized in a matter of weeks.

Employees have major concerns about a potential takeover of the company that would include CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss being given oversight of the network, according to the report, which cites multiple people familiar with the situation. Weiss has faced backlash and internal revolts at CBS since Ellison installed her at the network last year.

Ellison’s cozy relationship with President Donald Trump — his billionaire father, Larry Ellison, is a major donor — has also raised alarms among staff that CNN could be making a sharp political turn towards the right.

Amy Entelis, CNN’s executive in charge of on-air talent, has reportedly seen her Manhattan office become the place where correspondents and anchors swing by to express their frustrations.

“As the merger approaches, the 18th-floor Manhattan office of Amy Entelis, the CNN executive in charge of on-air talent, has turned into something of a psychiatrist’s couch for anchors and correspondents, who often drop in to air their anxieties about the looming changes,” The Times reported.

Ellison’s Skydance merged with Paramount last year, paving the way for his takeover of CBS. Ellison has reportedly been considering giving Weiss control of CNN and possibly bringing in someone more experienced to help her, as she has little broadcasting experience beyond in her new position.

CNN CEO Mark Thompson has refused to share “oversight” of the network with someone else, according to the report.

Anderson Cooper also reportedly expressed no desire to work with Weiss. Cooper briefly worked at 60 Minutes at the same time as Weiss, though he left as a correspondent in May after 20 years in the role.

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