CNN is on the verge of a massive shakeup. Kara Swisher is following through on her promise to leave the network if Paramount takes over. “F*ck these guys,” she said about the new owners. Keep reading to find out the latest on the future of the news network.
Paramount’s Takeover Of Warner Bros. Cleared By Courts
Warner Bros. Discovery was put up for auction in 2025. Netflix briefly toyed with the idea of acquiring the company’s streaming library and studios. However, Paramount Skydance launched a hostile bid to buy the whole company, including its cable networks, which Netflix didn’t want. Netflix quickly dropped out of the bidding war.
However, several states, including California and New York, filed an antitrust lawsuit in July 2026 to block the merger. The lawsuit was settled on September 21, 2026. Paramount Skydance agreed to several stipulations, including setting up an independent board to monitor CNN and CBS News’ editorial independence. The merger is now expected to go through in October 2026.
Skydance Media’s 2025 takeover of Paramount ended in mass layoffs at CBS News and a shift from liberal-leaning reporting to conservative-leaning. The changes have tanked the ratings for 60 Minutes, among other consequences.
Kara Swisher Hints At CNN Exit, Says ‘F*ck These Guys’
There are major concerns that what happened to CBS News could happen to CNN. Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison will take control of CNN, HBO, and the other Warner Bros. networks once the merger is official. After taking over CBS News in the Paramount-Skydance merger, David Ellison named Bari Weiss as Editor-in-Chief of CBS News.
There’s talk that she may take control of CNN after the latest merger. Anderson Cooper already said he won’t stay at the network if she does. Now, Kara Swisher is making good on her previous promise to leave if David Ellison becomes the owner of CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros.
“I was trying to figure out ways I could work with them in some, like, licensing way. But then I thought, f*ck these guys. I don’t want to work for them. I just don’t,” she told Scott Galloway on their The Pivot podcast this week.
However, a source told Page Six that Kara Swisher is just “jealous.” The CNN contributor’s ex-girlfriend, Nellie Bowles, is now married to Bari Weiss. Page Six reported that they emailed Kara Swisher for a comment and she posted it on Threads.
“As exciting as girl on girl action is for you to gin up, I have been saying for a long time now that I would depart CNN if the deal goes through, due to my lack of confidence in the owners as decent media stewards & not whatever minion they decide to install,” the journalist wrote.
Kara Swisher’s contract with CNN ends at the end of 2026, but she said on the podcast that her agent is looking for ways to get out of the contract early. Tell us your thoughts on Paramount taking over CNN once the merger goes through.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger