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Wendy McMahon (television executive)

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Wendy A. McMahon
Born1974/1975
OccupationJournalist
Years active1999 (1999)–present
Known forCEO, CBS News
SpouseWilliam Burton
Children1

Wendy A. McMahon (born 1974/1975)[1] is an American television executive who serves as the president and CEO of CBS News and Stations, the division of the CBS television network that runs CBS News and its owned-and-operated television stations, as well as CBS Media Ventures, its domestic syndication arm.

McMahon started her career in television in Savannah, Georgia, working as a promotions manager and creative services director in several markets, the last being Los Angeles. She then was promoted to overseeing digital content for the eight ABC Owned Television Stations and was named president of the group in 2017.

In 2021, McMahon left ABC to become the co-president of CBS News and Stations, which was newly reorganized as a fusion of the local and national news divisions. The two have become more closely aligned, and McMahon also oversaw the launch of new or expanded local news programming in Detroit and Los Angeles. She served alongside Neeraj Khemlani until he resigned in August 2023, at which time CBS appointed McMahon as the sole president and CEO of the division, in addition to leadership of CBS Media Ventures.

Career

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After graduating from Louisiana State University, McMahon's first job was at WTOC-TV in Savannah, Georgia, where she was a promotion manager.[2] She later served as the promotions director at KXAN-TV in Austin, Texas,[3] and the creative services director of CBS-owned WCCO-TV in Minneapolis.[4][5] In 2006, CBS promoted her to creative services director at WBZ-TV in Boston.[6] Months after arriving in Boston, she led a rebrand of the station from CBS4 back to WBZ.[7]

After seven years within the CBS stations group, McMahon was hired by KABC-TV in Los Angeles to serve as vice president for programming and creative services. She was later elevated to senior vice president responsible for digital content and product technology for all eight ABC Owned Television Stations and in December 2017 to president of the group.[8] Broadcasting & Cable magazine named the ABC stations its Station Group of the Year in 2020, citing initiatives including hiring community journalists; the launch of the Localish brand and digital subchannel; and the rollout of mobile apps for streaming across the station group.[9]

CBS News and Stations

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Co-presidency

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In April 2021, CBS named Neeraj Khemlani, who had worked at ABC and CBS including as a producer on 60 Minutes, and McMahon as co-presidents of the newly combined CBS News and Stations division. The merger of News and Stations came in the aftermath of the departure of the executives that had been running the CBS television stations, Peter Dunn and David Friend, over harassment and preferential treatment issues.[8][10]

Since the merger, the national and local news operations have engaged in several joint efforts. On January 2022, the CBSN local and national streaming channels were rebranded as CBS News as part of efforts to more deeply integrate local and national reportage.[11][12] That same month, CBS launched a Local News and Innovation Lab in Fort Worth, Texas, to produce newscasts featuring national and local segments for its independent and The CW-affiliated stations in ten markets.[13] That June, the national investigative unit and the News and Innovation Lab in Fort Worth debuted a reporting series, Crime Without Punishment, which included reports in the local markets as well as a 30-minute national streaming documentary.[14]

Since the reorganization, several CBS-owned markets have seen major changes. In December 2021, CBS announced it would start a news operation in Detroit, where its station, WWJ-TV, had not aired local evening newscasts since 2002.[15] This occurred after the station's vice president and general manager approached McMahon about the idea, an overture that she found surprising because such a proposal "never happens".[16] The first newscasts from CBS News Detroit launched on January 2023,[17][18] with the initial evening news programs being augmented by a morning newscast that launched a month later.[19][20]

Another market where the local news was overhauled was Los Angeles, where CBS owns KCBS-TV and news-intensive independent station KCAL-TV. On July 2022, the network announced that KCAL would introduce a new seven-hour morning newscast, from 4:00 a.m. to 11:00 am; KCBS would instead air the live East Coast broadcast of CBS Mornings from 4 to 6 a.m. PT, followed by a simulcast of the 6 a.m. hour of the KCAL morning show, and then the West Coast edition of CBS Mornings.[21] McMahon cited the "growth opportunity" from replacing KCAL's early morning lineup of paid programming with its first-ever morning news program.[22][23] CBS also bolstered the Los Angeles local news operation by transferring veteran correspondent Jamie Yuccas from CBS News to KCAL.[24] Concurrently with the changes, CBS rebranded newscasts on both stations as KCAL News, trading on the news image of the latter.[25][26][27] In other markets, the local stations were rebranded to bring them more in line with the existing look of CBS national news, sports, and entertainment.[28]

In 2022, when CBS sold most of its stake in The CW to Nexstar Media Group, the transaction included withdrawing its eight CW affiliates from the network in September 2023.[29][30]

Sole presidency

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On August 13, 2023, Khemlani resigned. The next day, CBS announced that McMahon would become the sole president and CEO of CBS News and Stations as well as the president of CBS Media Ventures, which distributes programs including Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune; the president of the latter, Steve LoCascio, simultaneously announced his retirement after 34 years.[31][32]

Personal life

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McMahon is married to William Burton. They have a son.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Mullin, Benjamin (August 15, 2023). "CBS News Names New Chief Executive". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Wendy McMahon". CBS News. May 3, 2021. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  3. ^ Holloway, Diane (March 23, 2002). "Winter Olympics golden for KXAN: Local NBC affiliate scores a major victory in February sweeps". Austin American-Statesman. p. B3. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Caulfield Rybak, Deborah (February 5, 2004). "This sweeps period has TV news stations set for a battle royal". Star Tribune. p. B1. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Caulfield Rybak, Deborah (February 5, 2004). "'The wind is at WCCO's back,' says one observer". Star Tribune. p. B7. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Fee, Gayle; Raposa, Laura (August 7, 2006). "Been there, done that: Affleck takes off pre-party". Boston Herald. p. 14.
  7. ^ Noyes, Jesse (February 2, 2007). "WBZ has eye on Super name-change $pla$h". Boston Herald. p. 24.
  8. ^ a b James, Meg (April 16, 2021). "CBS combines news with TV stations group: Wendy McMahon, Neeraj Khemlani rejoin network; Susan Zirinsky to shift role". Los Angeles Times. p. E10. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Malone, Michael (December 14, 2020). "Station Group of the Year: The ABCs of Thriving Local Broadcasting". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  10. ^ Weprin, Alex (April 15, 2021). "Neeraj Khemlani and Wendy McMahon Named Co-Heads of CBS News and CBS TV Stations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021.
  11. ^ Steinberg, Brian (September 22, 2021). "CBS to Phase Out CBSN Name for News Streaming Service". Variety. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  12. ^ Steinberg, Brian (January 24, 2022). "CBS Raises Stakes in TV's Broadband News Battle: Top Anchors Will Tackle New Streaming Shows". Variety. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  13. ^ Malone, Michael (January 11, 2022). "CBS Stations Plans Local News Innovation Lab in Dallas-Fort Worth". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  14. ^ Malone, Michael (June 29, 2022). "CBS Launches Joint Investigation Between News, Stations, Streaming". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  15. ^ Hinds, Julie (December 14, 2021). "Detroit CBS station announces return to local TV newscasts, with 24/7 streaming". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  16. ^ Schneider, Michael (December 14, 2021). "CBS to Motor News Department Back Into Detroit, Launching Local Broadcasts on WWJ-TV After 20 Years". Variety. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  17. ^ Malone, Michael (January 23, 2023). "CBS News Detroit Launches January 23". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  18. ^ Hinds, Julie (January 23, 2023). "CBS News Detroit to debut 2 local weeknight newscasts, with plans for more". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  19. ^ Lapointe, Joe (February 20, 2023). "Lapointe: MSU shooting shows CBS News Detroit not yet ready for prime time". Detroit Metro Times. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  20. ^ Feighan, Maureen (March 6, 2023). "She's back. Sandra Ali returns to Detroit TV with new gig". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  21. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (July 12, 2022). "L.A. TV News Shakeup: KCAL Adds Morning Block as KCBS Double Pumps 'CBS Mornings' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  22. ^ Katz, A. J. (July 13, 2022). "CBS Mornings Will Air Live in Los Angeles Beginning This Fall". TVNewser. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  23. ^ "CBS to Expand AM News at LA Stations; KCAL to Air Local Morning News for First Time Ever". TVSpy. July 13, 2022. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  24. ^ Steinberg, Brian (September 19, 2022). "CBS Lends National Boost to Local News As Jamie Yuccas Joins KCAL". Variety. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  25. ^ Jacobson, Adam (July 12, 2022). "CBS Reshapes KCAL With Big L.A. Local News Revamp". Radio & Television Business Report. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  26. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 5, 2023). "KCAL-TV Launches 7-Hour Morning Local Newscast, KCBS-TV To Air Double Runs Of 'CBS Mornings'". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  27. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (January 5, 2023). "Los Angeles TV Stations KCAL and CBS2 to Rebrand All Local Newscasts as 'KCAL News'". Variety. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  28. ^ "Exclusive: Inside the rebranding of CBS-owned local stations". NewscastStudio. January 5, 2023. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  29. ^ Hayes, Dade (October 3, 2022). "New Day Dawns For Broadcast TV As Nexstar Closes Deal For Control Of The CW". Deadline. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  30. ^ "Eight CBS Stations To Ditch CW And Go Independent This Fall". Deadline. May 5, 2023. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  31. ^ Malone, Michael (August 14, 2023). "Wendy McMahon Will Head CBS News and Stations, CBS Media Ventures". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  32. ^ Albiniak, Paige (August 14, 2023). "Steve LoCascio, President of CBS Media Ventures, Is Retiring". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
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