Senators Markey and Luján Advocate for Increased Transparency during FCC's Review of Paramount-Skydance Merger
In the Nation's Capital:Two Democratic senators, Ed Markey from Massachusetts and Ben Ray Luján from New Mexico, have penned a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) demanding transparency in their assessment of Paramount Global's proposed merger with Skydance. The senators fear that the process may be tainted by potential bribery and undue influence from the Trump administration on Paramount's CBS News.
Markey and Luján, both part of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, addressed their letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. They emphasize the importance of the full commission approving the merger due to speculation surrounding Paramount settling a lawsuit brought by then-President Trump.
As reported earlier, Trump's lawsuit seeks $20 billion in damages over CBS News' editing of a "60 Minutes" interview with Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign. The FCC is investigating CBS for allegations of "news distortion" regarding the edited interview, with Carr stating this issue will be crucial in the merger review[2].
Critics, including former FCC commissioners, allege that the FCC is assisting the White House in suppressing media critics of the administration. They argue that the FCC's investigation of Paramount and CBS, while Trump is suing the company, represents a form of censorship[2].
Disney's ABC, also being investigated by the FCC, has already settled a separate lawsuit by Trump.
Carr has consistently denied these allegations, maintaining that the FCC investigations are unrelated to the Trump lawsuits. He further states that he hasn't even had a chance to read the Trump lawsuit[2]. Although other agencies have given the green light to the merger, Carr insists the FCC hasn't delayed a decision on the merger to exert additional pressure on Paramount.
Penned on May 13th, the senators' letter explains, "In late October, then-presidential candidate Trump sued CBS for $10 billion, later escalating the demand to $20 billion, claiming deceitful editing of an interview on '60 Minutes' and 'Face the Nation.' The transcript demonstrated that the aired excerpts were classic examples of editorial decision-making. Trump's allegation of 'voter interference' and violation of Texas' consumer protection law is unfounded and an attempt to bully the media[1]."
The letter continues, "Despite the clearly baseless nature of the lawsuit, Paramount is rumored to be considering settling the case to boost the odds that the Trump administration won't thwart or delay the merger with Skydance. Concerned that a settlement might expose them to bribery accusations, Paramount executives and directors worry about the implications[1]."
The senators further express their concerns, stating, "This transaction bears the hallmarks of a deal between a company desperate for approval of a multi-billion-dollar merger and a president eager to coerce media outlets and secure a massive financial reward[1]." They implore Carr to only approve the merger through a complete commission vote, emphasizing the importance of transparency[1].
For more data on the FCC's actions, check out our coverage here.
[1] - https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/10/cbs-parent-company-paramount-global-beans-falling-on-trump-lawsuits.html[2] - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/13/cbs-paramount-skydance-merger-fcc-594650[3] - https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/05/trump-sues-cbs-over-kamala-harris-interview-paramount-global-skydance-merger
- The senators, Ed Markey and Ben Ray Luján, have written a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), expressing their concerns over the FCC's assessment of Paramount Global's proposed merger with Skydance, stating that the process may be influenced by potential bribery and undue influence from the Trump administration on Paramount's CBS News.
- The senators, both members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, believe that the full commission should approve the merger due to speculation surrounding Paramount settling a lawsuit brought by then-President Trump.
- Critics, including former FCC commissioners, allege that the FCC is assisting the White House in suppressing media critics of the administration by investigating Paramount and CBS while Trump is suing the company, which they argue is a form of censorship.
- Disney's ABC, also being investigated by the FCC, has already settled a separate lawsuit by Trump.
- The senators implore FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to only approve the merger through a complete commission vote, emphasizing the importance of transparency and policy-and-legislation in media, politics, general-news, and broadcast content editing.
