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Visible Man

Media coverage of David Ellison’s post-merger victory tour has largely focused on his plans for CBS News, looming synergies at Paramount, and his relationship with Trump. But all this may understate the true scale of Ellison’s ambition: to transfuse New Paramount with his dad’s tech and turn a legacy creative business into… a platform.

David Ellison
Ellison may indeed have big ambitions for CBS News, but he can’t just wave his hands to reset the eroding business models of the monocultural era. As the denizens of CBS News well know, news has become a commodity even as newsgathering has remained expensive. Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for National Board of Review
Dylan Byers
August 8, 2025

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On Thursday morning, less than an hour after closing his acquisition of Paramount, Skydance C.E.O. David Ellison and his new TV chief, George Cheeks, stopped by the CBS broadcast center in Midtown to join the CBS News 9 a.m. editorial call. It was a savvy performative gesture, given all the recent tumult at the news division and the lingering uncertainty around Ellison’s ambitions for it. “I believe in the legacy of CBS News and being in the trust business and in the truth business,” Ellison told the journalists, according to a source present. “We are committed to investing in this company into the long-term future.” Ellison then met with top execs, producers, and talent. As my partner Matt Belloni has reported, Gayle King gifted him a mug.