CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss is making quick work of her revamp of The Tiffany Network with a handful of key hires ahead of a broader shakeup set to hit the network in the coming weeks.
Weiss, who joined the company in October, tapped Sam Siegel as its chief operating officer, according to an company memo sent on Wednesday. Siegel previously served as COO and chief financial officer at data management company Zoomin, which was acquired by Salesforce last year.
Weiss also appointed Sophie Efthimiatou as senior vice president of talent and brand strategy. The exec most recently oversaw writer relations and events at newsletter publishing platform Substack.
Puck’s Dylan Byers posted on X that Weiss also signed a handful of contributors including ex-marine Elliot Ackerman, cultural analyst Casey Lewis, chef and food writer Clare de Boer and former national security advisor H.R. McMaster.
A source close to the network said McMaster was already a CBS News contributor. The source added that the network was not expected to make a formal announcement of the new hires on Wednesday, contrary to Puck’s report.
CBS News declined to comment on the hires.
Weiss, who sold her anti-woke, centrist news site “The Free Press” to CBS-parent Paramount Skydance for $150 million, has slowly been making hires ahead of the network’s impending second round of layoffs.
As first reported by The Post, Weiss tapped Free Press deputy editor Adam Rubenstein as deputy editor of CBS News in October. She also hired ex-Wall Street Journal editor Charles Forelle as managing editor weeks later.
On the on-air talent side, Weiss also recruited ABC News’ Matt Guttman to take on leading role on CBS News’ “48 Hours,” as exclusively reported by The Post.
Under Weiss and CBS News president Tom Cibrowski, the network is also undergoing a shake up of its programming.
As first reported by The Post, the duo moved “CBS Mornings” co-anchor Tony Dokoupil to “CBS Evening News” where he will lead the newscast, starting Jan 5. The change is expected to have a ripple effect at the ratings-challenged “CBS Mornings,” which is currently co-hosted by Gayle King and Nate Burleson.”
“CBS Saturday Morning” also got an overhaul during the network’s first round of layoffs in late October. “CBS Saturday Morning” co-anchors Dana Jacobson, Michelle Miller, executive producer Brian Applegate and a host of staffers were let go, as first reported by The Post.
The anchors will be replaced by CBS News correspondents Adriana Diaz and Kelly O’Grady, as exclusively reported by The Post earlier this month.
Weiss, who had initially planned on officially announcing some of the hires earlier this week at a town hall, is expected to roll out her vision in the coming days, most likely in the new year, according to sources.
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