"Another American president likely would have politely declined to comment when asked by a reporter about a massive media merger that would require fact-driven oversight and regulatory approval by a purportedly independent-minded branch of their administration. But when Trump was asked on Sunday about Netflix's $82.7bn (61.8bn) deal to acquire the studio and streaming businesses of Warner Bros Discovery the media company whose assets run the gamut from Batman and Casablanca to The Sopranos, Succession and CNN he didn't hesitate to say he would be involved in the review process for the deal."
"I'm not involved in that, he told reporters on Wednesday, before adding: I will be probably involved maybe involved in the decision. It depends. You have some good companies bidding on it. Contradicting himself, Trump then laid out a condition for his support of a deal: the company that buys WBD's studio, HBO and its streaming assets must also acquire its television channels and make big changes at the cable news network he has long despised, CNN."
Donald Trump has actively moved to influence the US media landscape, from pressuring networks and regulators to intervening in major merger reviews. Trump publicly signalled he would be involved in the regulatory review of Netflix's proposed $82.7bn acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery. A rival $108bn bid from Paramount Skydance quickly emerged. Trump gave mixed statements about his involvement while conditioning support on buyers also acquiring WBD's television channels and forcing changes at CNN. The interventions raise concerns about politicisation of merger oversight and could have wide-reaching effects on Hollywood, newsrooms and global media ownership.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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