Neeraj Khemlani, the head of CBS News, announced his intention to pursue other opportunities within the broadcasting company.

Khemlani informed staff members in a memo obtained by Variety that he intends to pursue a new multi-year agreement with CBS that will allow him to concentrate on developing content such as books for Simon & Schuster, documentaries, and scripted series, as The Hill reported.

Prior to joining CBS News in 2021, Khemlani was a senior executive at Hearst Communications. Khemlani's tenure as CEO was marked by the appointment of prominent journalists such as Cecilia Vega, Natiale Morales, and Robert Costa, the revamping of the division's morning news program, CBS Mornings, and the expansion of the division's investigation unit.

McMahon, a veteran of both CBS and ABC who has spent more time focusing on CBS' local-stations business, is widely regarded as a leading candidate to assume Khemlani's responsibilities at CBS News, according to three sources with knowledge of the situation. Monday afternoon, Paramount Global and CBS could name a replacement.

According to these three individuals, Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, who supervises all newsgathering at CBS News, could be in line for new responsibilities, according to Variety.

Resignation Note

“We maintained the #1 position of our iconic weekend programs, successfully developed and launched business plans to grow digital revenue that will sustain CBS News for the next generation, and elevated and promoted so many of the people who work here day after day to deliver on our journalistic mission,” Khemlani told staffers in a memo sent on Sunday.

“I’m so proud of what all of you have accomplished — the scores of journalistic wins, the superb storytelling, the creativity that enhanced every aspect of our programming — that has put this division on a stronger path forward.”

He said he was “looking forward to slipping my reporter’s notebook back into my pocket and heading out on a new adventure.”

Khemlani joined CBS after serving as a senior executive at Hearst; he had previously worked as a producer for "60 Minutes," as Variety reported

According to staff members with knowledge of the situation, he squandered no time investigating the financials of CBS News' programs, and his tenure was plagued by rumors that he spoke brusquely to producers and executives.

Other Shakeups

According to Variety, Khemlani's exit is the most recent in a string of departures by high-ranking executives in the television industry over the previous few months.

Chris Licht, a senior executive of CBS News, resigned from his position as CEO of CNN in June following a turbulent career with the world's most prominent cable news organization.

In the beginning of this year, NBC Universal restructured its newsroom, which resulted in the resignation of Noah Oppenheim from his position as president of NBC News. Oppenheim had held the post for a total of six years.