"whose show ABC suspended after Brendan Carr complained about the things Kimmel said about Charlie Kirk's killer. But sure, Kimmel's suspension removes a familiar voice from the living rooms of a certain aging demographic, but more importantly, points to the system of power behind the suspension: not just the cancel campaign to silence discussion of Charlie Kirk's real statements, but Brendan Carr's egregious politicization of the FCC, and in response, the abject cowardice from multinationals like ABC, Sinclair, and Nexstar."
"and now Larry looks set to acquire TikTok and probably Warner Brothers. Then, if all goes according to plan, Mr. Trump could soon hand an 80 percent stake in TikTok, the powerful social media platform, to the existing shareholders, among them KKR and General Atlantic, plus a new consortium that includes Mr. Ellison's Oracle and a16z, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm whose co-founder Marc Andreessen is close with the administration."
Trump's targeting of opponents tends to create martyrs who energize opposition rather than eliminate dissent. Jimmy Kimmel's suspension followed a regulator's complaint and revealed corporate willingness to prioritize regulatory approval over defending speech. Brendan Carr's politicized actions and multinational media companies' compliance exposed a learned helplessness that enables regulatory silencing. The Ellison family is expanding control over major media assets, including Paramount Skydance, potential TikTok stakes, and possible Warner interests. A consortium including Oracle and a16z would concentrate ownership. The convergence of political pressure, regulatory influence, corporate timidity, and concentrated media ownership narrows public discourse and increases partisan influence.
Read at emptywheel
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