Neeraj Khemlani Steps Down As President Of CBS Information

Neeraj Khemlani is stepping down because the president and co-head of CBS Information and Stations.

In a memo to staffers on Sunday, Khemlani stated that he had signed a primary look cope with the community to develop documentaries, scripted sequence and books for Simon & Schuster.

“It’s an opportunity that will allow me to write, report and develop stories that I’ve long wanted to pursue,” he wrote.

George Cheeks, the president and CEO of CBS Leisure Group, stated that he’ll replace staffers quickly with details about new management and construction for the information division. That will come as quickly as Monday, and there may be some hypothesis that Wendy McMahon, who was named president and co-head of CBS Information and Stations in 2021, will tackle a brand new or expanded function. Khemlani and McMahon have been named to their posts in a restructuring that mixed two divisions of the corporate.

Since then, the information division has expanded and revamped its streaming channels, rebranded CBS’s morning information reveals and re-signed Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell to new contracts. They’ve additionally employed such figures as Robert Costa and Cecilia Vega.

The morning present and night newscast have remained in third place in comparison with their broadcast rivals, whereas CBS dad or mum Paramount World has been below stress to chop prices because the trade grapples with the migration of viewers from linear platforms. Nonetheless, the community’s morning present has narrowed the hole with Immediately, as CBS This Morning was rebranded as CBS Mornings, with the addition of a brand new co-host, Nate Burleson.

Cheeks wrote that Khemlani “will leave CBS News with our broadcasts stronger and our streaming footprint bigger and better,” citing his expertise hires in addition to enterprise plans he put in place to “drive more revenue, which is essential in a challenging environment for all media companies.”

Khemlani was named to the publish after the resignation of Susan Zirinsky, who herself had only a two-year tenure and reportedly expressed a want to return to producing. She now leads a community manufacturing entity, See It Now Studios.

In his memo, Khemlani stated “there’s no question that this has been a transformative period: We built the nest morning show in the history of CBS News, reimagined our streaming channel, and invested in the reporting ranks and the D.C. bureau — including the Evening News — to position the network for excellence in the next presidential election.”

Khemlani had earlier been a vice chairman at Hearst Company and senior govt at Yahoo!, after serving as a producer for 60 Minutes. The modifications and price controls on the division have triggered some alarm amongst veterans on the community, whereas accounts of Khemlani’s abrupt administration type have been the topic of New York Publish headlines.

His departure is the newest shakeup among the many ranks atop community information divisions. Noah Oppenheim departed as president of NBC Information in January as a part of a reorganization, with Rebecca Blumenstein taking up a newly created function as president of editorial. Chris Licht exited CNN in June following a tumultuous tenure of simply over a yr.

The information division management jobs, which mix editorial duties with expertise relations and price management, have change into much more tough as media corporations grapple with the evolution of enterprise fashions, one thing that has led to excessive profile layoffs. ABC Information President Kim Godwin, who has led the community division since 2021, presided over the layoffs of fifty folks in March, together with some longtime executives and staffers, as a part of the elimination of hundreds of jobs from The Walt Disney Co. That led to intensive intrigue and concern over who was let go amid the restructuring. Earlier within the yr, she oversaw the exit of Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes from GMA3 after the pulled from the printed amid tabloid headlines that they have been having an affair.

The memos from Khemlani and Cheeks are beneath:

Crew –

I’ve some information to share immediately, and I don’t need to bury the lede. After an exhilarating run, and earlier than the following season begins, I’ve determined to step again from my present function and begin a brand new thrilling chapter. I’m happy to share that I’ve signed a multi-year, multi-platform first look cope with CBS to develop content material – together with documentaries, scripted sequence and books for Simon & Schuster. It’s a chance that can permit me to jot down, report and develop tales that I’ve lengthy needed to pursue.

There’s no query that this has been a transformative interval: we constructed the very best morning present within the historical past of CBS Information, reimagined our streaming channel, and invested within the reporting ranks and the D.C. Bureau – together with the Night Information – to place the community for excellence within the subsequent presidential election. We maintained the #1 place of our iconic weekend packages, efficiently developed and launched enterprise plans to develop digital income that can maintain CBS Information for the following era and elevated and promoted so most of the individuals who work right here day after day to ship on our journalistic mission. I’m so pleased with what all of you’ve achieved – the scores of journalistic wins, the very good storytelling, the creativity that enhanced each facet of our programming – that has put this division on a stronger path ahead.

It’s with all of this progress in thoughts that I do know it’s the suitable time for me to change gears and give attention to the reporting I really like, the artistic content material I really like, and, most significantly, the household I really like. Whereas I’ll undoubtedly miss the each day with so many fantastic colleagues, I’m wanting ahead to slipping my reporter’s pocket book again into my pocket and heading out on a brand new journey.

I’d additionally prefer to thank George, Wendy and your complete crew at CBS Information and Stations for all of the work, inspiration and friendship over the previous couple of years.

All the very best,

Neeraj

Crew – You simply heard from Neeraj about his choice to pursue the following chapter in his journalism profession. He and I’ve been discussing these ardour tasks and his potential transition for a while.

Neeraj will go away CBS Information with our broadcasts stronger and our streaming footprint greater and higher. The expertise he recruited to the division the previous few years is finest in school. He has put new enterprise plans in place to drive extra income, which is crucial in a difficult setting for all media corporations.

We’re additionally now a lot nearer to completely realizing a local-to-national-to-global information operation with extra platforms to showcase our excellent information reporting. Due to Neeraj and Wendy’s operational acumen, CBS Information and Stations is a lot better positioned for its multi-platform future. I’m so pleased with the journalism on show every single day from this division. The standard and variety of tales we inform is so important to the viewers we serve.

Please be a part of me in wishing Neeraj a lot success in his subsequent chapter. I’ll replace you quickly with details about the brand new management and construction for the division.

George