CNN CEO Mark Thompson to continue in his leadership roles at the news network

Her tenure has involved significant changes, including layoffs, ​the closure of CBS News Radio and a shake-up at "60 Minutes" that saw several ⁠veteran journalists leave the program.

Ellison and Thompson had held talks in recent weeks about a new contract that ​would keep the chairman and editor-in-chief of CNN in those roles but had not settled on the terms, Reuters ​reported last week, citing a source.

On Monday, Thompson lead "with the same responsibilities and prerogatives" that he has so far, but the specifics on how CNN will operate within the new company is yet to be fi.

Thompson said in the note he had "real confidence" that the new leadership would "fully ​support the principle and practice of the kind of independent news that CNN has always stood for".

Although longer-term changes are ‌still open ⁠questions, "the move sends a strong message to the staff and to the public that CNN's legacy, brand and commitment to covering the news remains its mission", said Frank Sesno, professor at George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs.

Ellison had agreed to set up an editorial independence board to oversee CNN and CBS News ​as part of a settlement ​with a coalition of ⁠12 U.S. states and a Hollywood writers' union. But journalists and media experts are skeptical about the five-member board over how much authority it will have in practice.

The members will ​be appointed and paid by Skydance, but the settlement does not explicitly give ​the board investigative ⁠powers and leaves unclear whether its decisions will be binding. The latest appointments come as both companies face pressure on their traditional television businesses, with audiences and advertising shifting from linear networks to streaming.

Other senior appointments included Paramount operations chief ⁠Andy ​Gordon as president of Skydance, while finance chief Dennis Cinelli will ​continue in the role. HBO head Casey Bloys will become chief content officer at Skydance's direct-to-consumer business, while George Cheeks will co-lead Skydance's newly ​formed television division.