Paramount Skydance on Monday confirmed that it will acquire The Free Press in a $150 million deal — and elevate its founder, Bari Weiss, to the top role as editor in chief of CBS News.
Weiss, 41, will run a new, debate-style program at the Tiffany network, similar to the debates that Free Press — her buzzy, contrarian news site — streams on topics from immigration to the ethics of editing embryo genes, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The former New York Times opinion writer will report directly to David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, as The Post exclusively reported last week.
She will be paired with CBS News president Tom Cibrowski, a former “Good Morning America” exec, confirming The Post’s earlier coverage.
While the new media company presented the pair as equals, their status is clear: While Weiss reports to Ellison, Cibrowski’s manager is George Cheeks, chair of TV and media at Paramount and Skydance.
The details of the $150 million deal were not disclosed.
The transaction will likely include a mix of stock and cash and will include earn-out provisions to reach its full value, sources told The Post.
Weiss’ news site will remain a standalone property operating separately from CBS News, though it will be owned by Paramount, a source with knowledge of the deal told The Post. It is unknown whether the site could eventually be integrated into CBS News’ website.
