People

Michael Corn is named president of programming and specials while Cherie Grzech becomes president and managing editor of news and politics. The two sign multi-year contract extensions as the network plans to expand news programming to 24-hours per day later this spring.

Pappas launched what was once the largest individually owned station group in the U.S.

The executive who has been a presence at several iterations of the company since 1997 will exit, effective immediately. A triumvirate of division heads — Brian Robbins, George Cheeks and Chris McCarthy — will step in to lead the company for now in a new office of the CEO. Robbins is president & CEO of Paramount Pictures & Nickelodeon and chief content officer, Movies and Kids & Family, Paramount+; Cheeks is president-CEO of CBS, and chief content officer, News and Sports, Paramount+; McCarthy is President & CEO, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks.

The recently retired Jason Kelce is headed to ESPN to be part of its Monday Night Football pregame show, sources briefed on the move told The Athletic. Kelce, who just retired after what is considered a Hall of Fame career with the Philadelphia Eagles, was sought after by multiple networks, but is slated to land on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown.

Ryan (l) will join James Brown, Nate Burleson, Bill Cowher and JJ Watt on The NFL Today. The 2016 NFL MVP and four-time Pro Bowl quarterback joined CBS Sports last season as an NFL game analyst and appeared in studio during the playoffs and Super Bowl. The contracts of Phil Simms (c) and Boomer Esiason expired after the Super Bowl (AP).

Confusion and anxiety reigned at a CBS-Politico joint party Saturday ahead of the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, with staffers shocked at news that Bob Bakish, CEO of parent Paramount Global, is set to exit abruptly as early as Monday morning. There have been rumblings about Bakish for days as the company enters the final stretch of exclusive merger negotiations with David Ellison’s Skydance. But his imminent departure triggered a wave of anxious speculation Saturday night in D.C.

Even though Ellen DeGeneres is looking back at her talk show with a sense of humor, she can’t deny that her unceremonious exit left deep wounds.

Comcast said chairman and chief executive Brian Roberts’ pay package for 2023 totaled $35.47 million, up from $32 million the year before. It included a $2.5 million base salary, stock awards valued at about $15 million, $9.2 million in option awards and $8.55 million in what’s called non-equity incentive plan compensation (like a cash bonus).

Poppy Harlow, who has been with CNN since 2008, is exiting the network. Harlow announced her decision in a memo to colleagues. She was offered a new role following the cancellation of CNN This Morning, but instead decided to leave, the network confirmed.