Exclusive | Former CNN Chief Jeff Zucker won’t join

Former CNN chief Jeff Zucker is out of the run for any role in the Global Paramount if and when the $ 8 billion media giant is closed with Skydance-and this includes any CBS network management option, the post has learned.

The embarrassing media executive-forced to leave high work at CNN in 2022 after his romantic relationship with an underline-has been rumored to be in line for a major role in a melted paramount market entity, with fraud suggesting a future plum work may be Tiffany network poisoning.

This is partly because 59-year-old Zucker has recently been in the Redbird Capital media investment side, a purchase fund led by Gerry Cardinal that is falsifying the Paramount-Skydance Agreement.

The new conglomerate – which will be the home of Paramount Pictures, CBS and The Paramount+ Streaming ARM – will be led by David Ellison and former CEO of NBCUniversal Jeff shell – also a confident of the Cardinal.

However, Zucker seems to be on the outside of the agreement, said sources-and his profile “greater than life” has not helped his issue, according to the interiors.

“There is no legitimate role for Jeff,” said a source of knowledge, citing a host of executives that have been rumored to have been tapped to join the combined company.

Shell, who was overthrown by NBCUniversal in 2023 on charges of inappropriate behavior with CNBC Reporter, will lead Skydance as president. CBS General Director George Cheeks is likely to continue to run the television network. Former Netflix content chief Cindy Holland will lead the streaming arm and the film Skydance Dana Goldberg will run the studio.

The already accumulated deck leaves no role for Zucker, said a second source, adding that everything else would be a “demonstration” for the seasoned execution leading news and sports divisions of CNN-Prisit Warnermedia from 2019 to 2021.

“The contingent Ellison-Redbird has made it clear that there is no room for his greater personality than life,” the source said.

Other sources familiar with the situation claim that Zucker was never for a role in the new company, adding that he is Redbird My CEO and is committed to seeing it through.

Reps for Zucker did not respond to requests for comment. Skydance and Redbird refused to comment.

Known for his frugal programming skills, the Merkurial TV Mogul has famously increased CNN’s estimates as he bowed his programming to the left. He also questioned Donald Trump the time of great broadcasting leading to his first presidency in 2017. In 2020, CNN had its most watched year as Trump’s first deadline closed.

Prior to that, as NBCUNIVERSAL CEO, Zucker turned NBC’s “today” show into a giant ratings with famous indispensable interviews and rock concerts in nature, though he pioneered modern reality with performances as “Fear Factor” and “The Apprentice” of Trump.

But for those who are not in Zucker’s good graces, he can emerge as a “vengeful tyrant”, a source told The Post. Newspapers have called him a “Napoleon of the Network”, a “King and a Royal” and a “Tactical Gene”.

Zucker is currently a senior executive at Redbird, a joint venture between Redbird Capital and international media investments, a fund supported by the United Arab Emirates. He has made a small piece of investment in production companies, including taking a share in the media, studies after Apple TV+”The Morning Show” series.

His biggest deal was a $ 1.45 billion and All3Media, the largest independent company in the United Kingdom. But it was his biggest failure to make titles: last year, Zucker tried to buy the Daily Telegraph and the spectator in London – but withdrew after the United Kingdom leaders were blocked in his faith in the supporters of the Emirates.

“Zucker has done nothing great for a while,” said a media execution. “I’m sure he would like to run a media company again.”

Media executions and Hollywood agents who know Zucker speculated that the 59-year-old would like to return to the spotlight and that he would enjoy making a return to CNN. In 2023, the post reported that the execution was interested in buying CNN and poisoning the news network in the war between sales rumors.

“I think Jeff would like to run CNN. It would be the final revenge,” one source told The Post.

“I will never count it,” the person added, referring to Zucker’s Gr to return to the top of the media food chain.

Warner Bros network Discovery owned by the network never came to the market, but those rumors have been renovated as the media conglomerate is making structural changes in its organization that will result in its cable channels, which includes CNN, TNT, TBS and others, from its transmission and its studios.

It is unclear if this will result in a sale, but the General Director of Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav said in December that he will determine the company for “possible strategic opportunities”.

Sources have speculated that such a scenario could be a mega-melting between Skydance-Paramount-Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. Right now, however, Skydance and Redbird Brass are focusing on the soil hit after the Paramount Agreement is green.

“While Ellison and Redbird prepare for the Union, they are careful about weapons jumping,” a source said with knowledge, adding that they are “busy in meetings” to identify “cost savings” after the deal is passed.

The deal faces major obstacles including a $ 20 billion lawsuit by President Trump against CBS during a “60-minute” with former deputy chairman and presidential challenger, Kamala Harris. Trump claimed the news show “edited fraudulent” interview to make Harris look better.

In February, “60 minutes” released the tape and transcription not edited between the pressure from Trump and the chairman of the Federal Communication Commission Brendan Carr, who will decide whether the union can pass.

Since then, Shell and current Chief Paramount Shari Redstone have pressured the network to resolve the lawsuit with Trump, told post sources.

CBS News Brass and their employees have blocked the notion of settlement with Trump and expressed their concerns even after Carr opened an investigation in Harris Ed and opened it for public comment.

Meanwhile, New York public pension funds were indicted to block the Skydance Union Agreement, whose exclusive terms have prevented Paramount from consider a rival offer worth $ 8.8 billion from the Rise Partners project, an investment consortium.

Currently, a judge of the Delaware Court is weighing if he will force Paramount to consider the last minute offer.