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CBS News' new President Susan Zirinsky is struggling with Thursday's fallout. New York Post story about staff changes on the air that has pushed some staff members of its already nervous information division to the brink of panic.
"It's hard, I understand, but you have to stay focused," said Zirinsky, who officially took over the reins on March 1st. CBS Evening News the staff members after the To post asserted, among other disturbances, that CBS this morning Gayle King star forces Norah O'Donnell to leave the show as part of her contract negotiations and position O'Donnell on the CBS Evening News away from Jeff Glor and move this program to Washington.
"When there is something to tell you, I will tell you," Zirinsky added, according to a witness. "When we are ready, we will do it."
CBS News pushed back against the To postThe claim that King and O'Donnell were engaged in an epic cat fight, particularly opposing the title "Gayle King expels Norah O'Donnell to" CBS This Morning ".
"This title is offensive and false at 100%," said the To post Zirinsky responded by adding that "the king and his wife are close friends," he added.
O Donnell's agent, Jay Sures, has made a complaint about blind quotes in the Post article that described his client as being difficult to treat and "toxic."
"If she were a man, that kind of baseless accusation would never be reported," said Sures.
O Donnell did not respond to a request for comment.
On the Friday of the morning show, for which King was absent, on a London mission for a special show about the impending baby of Harry and Meghan, like John Dickerson, apparently preparing to leave. CBS this morning make political segments for 60 minutes-O'Donnell told viewers: "We read a lot of things with a lot of interest. I just want you to know that we will respond on Monday, when Gayle is back here, as well as John. "
"Glor's professional future – which was anchored by CBS Evening News in October 2017 by Zirinsky's predecessor, David Rhodes – is not yet clear."
O'Donnell's comments suggested that Monday would be the day of the official announcement of the impending staff changes, and that it could include O'Donnell and Dickerson who will be replaced by CBS News' veteran veteran Anthony Mason, and newcomer Tony Dokoupil, King's new cohorts.
The professional future of Glor – which has been installed as CBS Evening News in October 2017 by Zirinsky's predecessor, David Rhodes, was unclear. the To post reported that Glor will likely be downgraded to weekend correspondent or anchor status.
the CBS Evening News did not improve on its relatively poor performance since Rhodes ruled out Scott Pelley from the show – largely because of the dive, according to insiders, because Pelley's highly aggressive agent, Ari Emanuel, had pressed Rhodes during negotiations to get more money.
Glor and his own agent, Olivia Metzger, would have resigned to the likelihood that his days on the television news would be numbered.
CBS News declined to comment on the revelations of the past day.
CBS News veterans, who spoke on condition of not being named, were split over whether to give O Donnell the evening newscast and move the show's production center to Washington , where O Donnell's husband, Geoff Tracy, is the owner. chain of restaurants.
"I knew two months ago that this was going to be the plan," said one of them, a declared admirer of Zirinsky. "Rebuild the morning show around Gayle and have her stay, and place Norah on the Evening newspaper because she's a better anchor than Jeff. And move him to Washington, because that's where the story is going now, at least during the election, and that's where his family is and bringing it out a little bit. But in the long run, not a good idea. You do not want to continue showing in Washington. "
A second veteran of CBS News, however, said that basing the broadcast in Washington, where the network recently built a state-of-the-art studio in a new office, would create a host of problematic logistical issues, unless Zirinsky only decreed the new York staff must largely settle in the nation's capital.
"It's not good if it looks like the move is simply trying to satisfy the desire of one person. Why is it happening? Just because Norah O'Donnell wants to move to Washington because her husband lives there? Is it really important?
"She said too much to everyone since before she even took the lead in the news"
Meanwhile, TV industry insiders told the Daily Beast on Friday that the To post The story, along with the apprehension that accompanies it, is the inevitable result of Zirinsky's habit of sharing his ideas with a wide range of friends and colleagues.
"She has said too much to everyone since she took over the press," said one of the people Zirinsky said, including plans for King, O'Donnell and Glor. "She speaks a lot and has great confidence in all the people she's known for a long time."
In early April, barely a month after starting her new job at CBS News, where she debuted 47 years ago as a production assistant for the weekend at the Washington office (and later became the inspiration of the type-A character of Holly Hunter in the 1987 romantic comedy, Broadcast News) -Zirinsky was one of the laureates at The Hollywood ReporterCelebrating the "35 Most Influential People in the New York Media".
Christa Robinson, senior vice president of communications for the news division, led Zirinsky through the glittering party crowd at The Pool in Manhattan. She listened with approval to her boss smile sheepishly and repeat to each group of conversation: more. "
These words were surprising and came from a 67-year-old woman, famous for her gregarious attitude, her sense of mediation and her volubility – that is, a very comfortable person for think aloud – so much so that several witnesses have assumed that Zirinsky was the subject of an intervention.
"I know we are not patients, but we have time to listen to you – what works, what does not work. Call me. E-mail. Find me. Your ideas matter"
Not really, said a CBS News insider, who pointed out that Zirinsky had been transparent about its intention to make radical changes to the information division after widely consulting with employees.
"I'll need a little bit of time – we have to look up and down," she said at a staff meeting when she took over. "And I know we're not patients, but we have time to listen to you – what works, what does not work, call me, email, find me, your ideas matter."
Zirinsky added, "We have an incredibly talented group of people … But the important question …[is] we must make sure everyone is in the right place. We will have many conversations in the coming weeks to find out. "
His preference, no doubt, was not to have them in public, however.
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