As an executive who once directed CBS News, Wendy McMahon frequently appeared in “Status,” a media industry newsletter written by Oliver Darcy and published on a platform called Beehiiv. Now McMahon may have a say in how beehiiv will move forward in the not too distant future.
Having spent four years running CBS stations, syndication arms and National News Operations, McMahon will work with CEO and co-founder Tyler Denk to serve as an advisory and consultant with Beehiiv. In an interview, McMahon says she intends to continue working on the business model she hopes to drive the media industry.
“This industry has given me a lot. I feel a deep responsibility to help shape that future. It’s definitely in the midst of transformation. It definitely needs to evolve,” she tells Variety. “The moment demands both innovation and integrity.”
McMahon tried to put both in CBS. In her final months at the company currently managed by Skydance Media, she introduced several new programming formats, trying to maintain the credibility of venerable shows like “60 Minutes.” The long-term CBS News Magazine program was at the heart of a lawsuit from President Donald Trump, and many legal experts found it useless. When corporate owner Paramount moved to solve the problem, McMahon left, as widely viewed as a bid to maintain the company’s sales to Skydance Media.
“It has become clear that the company and I disagree with the path forward,” McMahon said in a note when he left CBS in May. “It’s time for me to move on and this organization moves on to advance new leadership. I’ve been strengthening our business over the last few months to make sure we have the right leaders in place, and there’s no doubt that they’ll continue to set standards.”
During her tenure in CBS, McMahon worked rapidly, combining the news investigative power of CBS’s local stations with its domestic forces. The new streaming program introduced during his tenure relied on a “whip” format in which viewers decided to break the story in the various markets where CBS officials covered them. The fundamental reshaping of “CBS Evening News” is not to speed up the news, but rather puts a more spotlight on corporate and feature reporting, relying on two unorthodox anchor forms. This maneuvering was seen as a way to better exploit CBS’ journalistic assets, but was also seen as a way to save money on expensive items such as news anchor salaries in an era when Paramount was much more cost-conscious.
McMahon said “I’m proud of what we’re trying to build on CBS news and stations,” turning to what independent journalists and the new platforms they use will achieve.
She is ready to leverage her knowledge of how television is run to support independent outlets that will increase video podcasts and YouTube. McMahon worked her way, from studying broadcast journalism at Louisiana State University to marketing stations in Savannah, Austin, Minneapolis and Boston. After a stint working for CBS Properties, McMahon moved to ABC, first working at KABC in Los Angeles, then managed digital content and product technology for all television stations owned by Disney Support Broadcasting Stations. In 2017, she became president of the Station Group.
According to McMahon, times may be near. “I think the future requires a common perspective between established players and emerging creators. I think we’ll see journalists living in every space. They contribute to CBS News, ABC News, CNN, NBC News, but have direct contact with their followers through newsletters and podcasts. “I think that’ll be the future. It’s not “one or the other,” but “yes.” ”
Some traditional companies are already beginning to concentrate on creators. Fox Corp. has acquired Red Seat Ventures, a production company that supports digital-centric personalities such as Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson, which abandoned mainstream outlets. Some people working with the Redsheet have begun to appear in Fox properties such as Fox One and Fox News Channel.
While acknowledging that “the business model surrounding journalism is in a fluid state,” McMahon believes technology can serve “as an enabler and a threat.” Her role on Beehiiv is what she hopes for in the coming weeks.
