CBS News’ Khemlani steps down, McMahon named successor

Neeraj Khemlani, president and co-head of CBS News and Stations, has stepped down from his role. He wrote in a memo to staff:

“I have some news to share today, and I don’t want to bury the lede. After an exhilarating run, and before the next season starts, I’ve decided to step back from my current role and start a new exciting chapter.”

For his new role, Khemlani has signed a “multi-year, multi-platform first-look deal with CBS to develop content” for the network, including “documentaries, scripted series and books for Simon & Schuster.”

Previously, he worked at Hearst for 12 years. There he held the posts of VP and special assistant to the CEO for digital media; executive vice president and digital group head for Hearst entertainment and syndication; chief creative officer; president for Hearst entertainment and syndication; and executive vice president and deputy group head for Hearst newspapers.

He also served as vice president and general manager of Yahoo! News & Information and head of Yahoo! Originals. In eight  at At CBS News from 1998 to 2006he was as a producer. He also researched, reported, wrote and produced stories with various CBS News correspondents.

Khemlani has a B.S. in communications from Cornell University and a M.S. in journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

You can connect with Khemlani via Twitter.

With Khemlani’s seat empty, Wendy McMahon has been named president and CEO of CBS News, the network’s local TV stations, and CBS Media Ventures. In her new role, she will lead CBS News’ entire broadcast and streaming operations, the 27 local U.S. TV stations, 14 local news streaming channels, and syndication programming. She will also oversee content licensing to TV stations and the division’s national advertising sales business, as reported by CNN.

Previously, McMahon worked at CBS from 2002 to 2009, holding the posts of creative services director for WCCO and creative services director for WBZ. She worked at The Walt Disney Company for more than a decade before rejoining CBS News in May 2021.

At Disney, she served as vice president for KABC TV Ch. 7 in Los Angeles in marketing and programming, senior vice president for ABC Digital and president for ABC-owned TV stations.

McMahon graduated from Louisiana State University.

You can congratulate McMahon via Twitter.