Murdochs’ News Corp. Taps Former CBS News Chief for Video Role
By Brian Steinberg
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – David Rhodes, the former president of CBS News, has taken on a consulting role that might raise some eyebrows: He’s working again for one of the Murdoch family’s news operations.
Rhodes is said to be working on an assignment related to video for News U.K., the British operating unit of News Corp., according to a person familiar with the matter. The company declined to make executives available for comment, and Rhodes did not respond immediately to a query asking about his work with the company. Rhodes previously served in a senior editorial role at Fox News Channel, which is owned by another Murdoch family holding, Fox Corporation.
Rhodes has held a series of consulting roles since leaving CBS News in early 2019, and has also worked for Spotify and The Los Angeles Times.
The New York Times previously reported that Rhodes was working as a consultant for News Corp., and suggested the move had spurred speculation that Rhodes might be considered for a role at Fox News Media, which is currently run by CEO Suzanne Scott. Under Ms. Scott, the company has moved quickly into digital media and streaming video, while weathering an array of controversies over many of the declarations of Fox News Channel primetime opinion hosts and their overt support of President Donald Trump.
There are other top openings within the Murdoch empire. Will Lewis, the former CEO of Dow Jones, the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, said in April he would leave the company after his contract was not renewed.
While at CBS News, Rhodes pressed to embrace digital video. During his tenure, CBS News launched CBSN, an ad-supported streaming-video news outlet, and had staffers from its digital outlets staff weekend broadcasts of the evening news. He faced headwinds as well: Rhodes made several talent moves at “CBS This Morning” and “CBS Evening News” that had a role in ratings declines at those flagship programs. He was also known to clash with some of the CBS News talent, including former “CBS Evening News” anchor and current “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley, among others.
