Weinstein

Paramount has named Kenneth R. Weinstein, former head of a conservative-leaning Washington think tank, to be ombudsman for CBS News, fulfilling a condition of winning the Trump administration’s approval for an $8-billion merger.

The company announced Monday “that complaints from consumers, employees and others” about CBS News stories will go to Weinstein, who will help determine if remedial action is necessary.

Weinstein, who served as president and chief executive of the Hudson Institute, will report to Jeff Shell, who is president of Paramount under new owner and CEO David Ellison.

Weinstein will address complaints about news coverage in consultation with Shell, CBS President and CEO George Cheeks and CBS News Executive Editor Tom Cibrowski.

Paramount buyer Skydance Media agreed to appoint an ombudsman in order to get regulatory clearance for its acquisition of the media company, which closed in August.

The Federal Communications Commission said Skydance agreed to commit to “viewpoint diversity, nondiscrimination and enhanced localism” in its news coverage when the agency announced its approval of the deal.

“Americans no longer trust the legacy national news media to report fully, accurately, and fairly. It is time for a change,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in a statement at the time of the approval. “That is why I welcome Skydance’s commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network.”

Under Skydance’s ownership, CBS News has already shown a willingness to respond to Trump White House beefs with its coverage. On Friday the division announced a new policy for its Washington public affairs program “Face the Nation,” which will no longer edit taped interviews.

The policy shift came after U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem complained that her Aug. 31 “Face the Nation” interview, which was trimmed for time, deleted harsh allegations against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man wrongly deported to his native El Salvador. He was returned to the U.S., where he faces deportation efforts.

In addition to his work at the Hudson Institute, where he still holds a chair, Weinstein served on multiple advisory boards including the United States Agency for Global Media when it was known as the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The agency, currently headed on an interim basis by Kari Lake, oversees the funding for government-run media outlets such as Voice of America.

Weinstein also holds a doctorate in government from Harvard University and has taught political theory at Georgetown University and Claremont McKenna College.

“I’ve known [Weinstein] for many years and have respect for his integrity, sound judgment and thoughtful approach to complex issues,” Shell said in a statement. “Ken brings not only a wealth of experience in media and beyond but also a calm measured perspective that makes him exceptionally well-suited to serve as our Ombudsman.”

Aug. 13 (UPI) — Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein will face a third trial in New York in connection to the sexual assault case of actor Jessica Mann.

New York Judge Curtis Farber said Wednesday that the trial will take place before the end of 2025.

A jury was unable in June to come to a verdict on a rape charge that alleged Weinstein sexually assaulted Mann but did find him guilty of sexually assaulting former “Project Runway” production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006, and not guilty of assaulting former runway model Kaja Sokola that same year.

The judge announced he would not sentence Weinstein on the conviction involving Haley until Weinstein is retried for the charge related to Mann, who has alleged Weinstein raped her in 2013.

Weinstein was slated to be sentenced on Sept. 30 for the guilty verdict in Haley’s case, which means unless he pleads guilty to the charge that involves Mann, or either he is tried before September or prosecutors drop that charge, he’s likely to have that sentencing date postponed.

Weinstein, the co-founder of film studios Miramax and The Weinstein Company, was originally convicted of rape and criminal sexual act in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison for the crimes.

However, New York’s state Court of Appeals overturned his conviction after finding the jury in the 2020 trial was prejudiced by the judge of that trial who allowed women with unrelated allegations to testify.

Weinstein was also found guilty by a Los Angeles jury of sexual assault and sentenced to 16 years in prison.

He is currently appealing against that conviction and has denied all of the charges lodged against him. Weinstein has been held in custody in New York’s Rikers Island jail.

Prosecutors say they are prepared to go to trial for a third time after tension among jurors derails proceedings.

The judge in the sex crimes retrial of disgraced entertainment mogul Harvey Weinstein sex crimes retrial has declared a mistrial on an outstanding rape charge against the movie producer, after the jury foreperson refused to return to deliberate the case amid a jury room feud.

Judge Curtis Farber dismissed jurors in the New York court who had been unable to reach a verdict on the charge that Weinstein raped Jessica Mann.

“Deliberations became heated to such a degree I am obligated to declare a mistrial on the one count on which you didn’t reach a verdict,” Farber declared from the wood-panelled bench, wearing a robe and reading glasses.

Tensions within the jury in the trial have been a source of speculation for several days, and the jury foreperson said that he had been yelled at for refusing to change his vote on the rape count. He said that he felt bullied and said “No, I’m sorry,” when asked on Thursday if he would return to the jury room.

The decision is the latest development in a years-long legal saga focused on Weinstein’s record of sexual abuse during his time as a powerful figure in the entertainment industry.

More than 100 women have accused Weinstein of varying forms of sexual misconduct, and allegations against him helped spark the #MeToo movement, which encouraged women to come forward with their stories of sexual abuse at the hands of powerful men in a variety of industries.

The jury convicted Weinstein of one felony sex abuse charge, stemming from allegations from former production assistant Miriam Haley, on Wednesday, and acquitted him of another. But the jury could not decide on the third charge, which stems from allegations by Jessica Mann that Weinstein raped her in 2013.

The hairstylist and actress testified for days about what she says was her rape by Weinstein in a Manhattan hotel room, an event she also recounted during the first trial in 2020. Manhattan prosecutor Nicole Blumberg has said that Mann is prepared to go to trial for a third time.

Another jury in the Manhattan court had found Weinstein guilty in 2020 of raping Mann and sexually assaulting Haley, but New York state’s highest court overturned that conviction last year.

Weinstein criticised the court proceedings after Farber’s decision.

“I can’t be judged by a situation that’s going on like this,” said the 73-year-old Weinstein, who has denied all charges.