Executives at Paramount Skydance have agreed to pay billions to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, but they may have to do a little more work if they want to put their own stamp on the programming at CNN.
\n\nCNN recently struck a new deal with Abby Phillip, anchor of the raucous 10 p.m. roundtable “NewsNight,” that keeps all three of the anchors who host its primetime shows at the news giant for the foreseeable future, according to three people familiar with the matter.
\n\nAnderson Cooper, who anchors the 8 p.m. slot on CNN, renewed terms last year and it’s widely understood that Kaitlan Collins, who leads the “The Source” at 9 p.m. is working under a contract that has a few more years on left on it. Phillip is the last of the troika to renew alliances with the Warner Bros. Discovery news outlet.
\n\nA CNN spokesperson said the network does not comment on contracts with talent.
\n\nCNN was likely dealing with each anchor’s renewal as individual contracts opened, rather than deliberately planning a move to slow down a new owner’s plans.
\n\nNonetheless, having contracts in place could mean that Paramount will have to do some additional maneuvering if it wants…
Original source: https://variety.com/