Norah O'Donnell. (Photo by JC Olivera/Variety via Getty Images)
As Bari Weiss and CBS News leadership diligently worked over the past few months to persuade Anderson Cooper to ink a new deal with the network, they dangled a sweetener: an expanded role. Cooper, if he were to renew his contract, would not only remain a “60 Minutes” correspondent, but take on a larger presence on the show and across CBS News more broadly.
Exactly what that expanded role would have looked like is unclear. But I’m told Cooper would have likely had the latitude to appear in programming beyond the highly-rated Sunday newsmagazine. And on “60 Minutes,” he would have effectively become the face of the franchise.
The money, Status has learned, was also quite generous, reflecting Weiss’ real desire to lure him into a new deal. “A crazy amount,” as one person commented. And while Weiss had already failed to recruit Cooper for the “Evening News,” there was real hope among leadership that he would take her up on this new offer.
Still, Cooper walked. Officially, he cited a desire to spend more time with his children. But, as Status first reported, behind the scenes Cooper had also grown increasingly uneasy with the direction Weiss was taking the network. In the end, he chose not to stay and instead removed himself from the equation altogether.
With Cooper exiting, Weiss has turned her attention to another anchor. According to people familiar with the matter, Norah O’Donnell is now being seriously eyed for…
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The MS NOW logo. (Image courtesy of Versant)
Status Scoop | MS NOW’s Midday Makeover: Programming changes are in the works at MS NOW, Status has learned. According to people familiar with the matter, network chief Rebecca Kutler is planning an overhaul of the dayside lineup…
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