"Donald Trump wants CNN sold. He has said so repeatedly and publicly, demanding it should be sold in any deal involving Warner Bros Discovery. Now one of America's largest media companies is racing to oblige him, while another looks to consolidate its power. Wednesday's House judiciary hearing on streaming competition where lawmakers voiced concern over the Trump administration's influence and a potential merger's toll on consumers made clear just how dangerous both options are for free speech, audiences and democracy itself."
"Netflix has bid $82.7bn for Warner Bros Discovery, only to be countered by a hostile $108bn takeover bid from Paramount Skydance, led by David Ellison, son of Trump's ally Larry. Neither deal serves the public interest, and both are dangerous for the future of free expression. Both would produce an unprecedented concentration of power over what Americans watch and which stories get told."
"They would do so at precisely the moment when the Trump administration is openly weaponizing merger reviews to extract editorial concessions from media companies desperate for regulatory approval. This is not speculation; it is already happening. Paramount paid $16m to settle Trump's meritless lawsuit against CBS last year. As it sought Federal Communications Commission approval for its merger, the corporation installed Kenneth R Weinstein, whom Trump once nominated as ambassador to Japan, as a bias monitor at CBS News,"
Donald Trump has demanded CNN be sold as part of any Warner Bros Discovery deal. Netflix bid $82.7bn for Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount Skydance countered with a hostile $108bn takeover led by David Ellison. Both deals would concentrate power over what Americans watch and which stories get told, threatening free expression and newsroom independence. The Trump administration has weaponized merger reviews to extract editorial concessions from media companies seeking regulatory approval. Paramount paid $16m to settle Trump's lawsuit against CBS and installed Kenneth R Weinstein as a bias monitor at CBS News during its FCC review, a move condemned by commissioner Anna Gomez. Resignations at CBS and program cancellations followed.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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