Most TV execs who had overseen a ratings crisis and internal upheaval at a major network would be polishing their resumes.
Not Bari Weiss, it seems.
Despite an onslaught of media scrutiny the CBS editor-in-chief maintains the unwavering support of her bosses, according to sources
“She’s not going anywhere. The Ellisons like her very much and she’s safe,” they said referring to Paramount Skydance CEO, David Ellison, and his dad, Larry, who is the money behind the business.
David acquired Weiss’ The Free Press for appoximately $150 million last year and put her in charge of the news at the Tiffany network.
She has made sweeping and controversial decisions since she officially stepped into the role last October, as she attempts to reinvent the struggling news organization for the digital, MAGA era.
And many have been deeply unpopular with both staff and viewers.
Under Weiss, the network has seen a drop in ratings for shows like “CBS Evening News” and “CBS Mornings.” (The former has consistently averaged fewer than 4 million total viewers, despite a modest ratings gain the week of May 11, while rivals at ABC and NBC draw approximately 8 million and six million respectively).
She’s also put herself on air, hosting a town hall with Erika Kirk that failed to pull a big audience.
Meanwhile, she’s ruffeled feathers of veteran journalists at ratings juggernaut “60 Minutes,” sources have told us.
Even longtime correspondent, Anderson Cooper, who announced he was leaving the show after nearly two decades, seemingly took a dig at her during his emotional farewell from the show on May 17. “There’s very few things that have been around for as long as ’60 Minutes’ has and maintain the quality that it has,” Cooper said. He added he hopes “the core of what ’60 Minutes’ is always remains.”
There’s been rising fear among vets at the Tiffany Network that Weiss was trying to rebrand the broadcast by inserting herself on booking calls and editorial meetings, sources previously told The Post.
Nonstop headlines about her shortcomings and failures forced a Paramount spokesperson to publicly to defend Weiss and deny reports that she could lose control of marquee CBS News programs such as “60 Minutes,” “CBS Evening News” and “CBS Mornings.”
“Bari has the full support of Paramount and David Ellison as the editorial leader overseeing CBS News and 60 Minutes,” they said in a statement to The Post last week.
“Reports suggesting otherwise are inaccurate,” they added.
It seem that, at least for now, that’s not just spin.
A rep did not comment for this story.
