US regulators approve $8.4bn Paramount-Skydance merger | US news
The Federal Communication Commission approved the merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media on Thursday, and the CBS Broadcast Television Network, including the Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon cable channel, opened a way for a sale of $ 8.4 billion.
In a 60 -minute interview with Paramount’s former vice president Kamala Harris, which was released in October, FCC agreed to transfer its broadcast licenses to new owners for CBS television stations after paying $ 16 million to solve a case opened by Donald Trump.
Federal Communication Commission President Brendan Carr said that the agency’s investigation on the proposed merger was not dependent on the civilian case. Carr was elected by Donald Trump to lead FCC.
Paramount Global, the owner of the CBS, decided to cancel the late demonstration with the company’s Stephen Colbert, just a few days after criticizing Paramount for settling in Trump. The Colbert described the settlement as a “a big, fat bribe”.
In response to the news of the merger on Thursday, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, He called for an investigation into Paramount’s relationship with Trump. On the merger of Skydans, he wrote on a social media post: “Of course they paid 36 million dollars to Donald Trump for this merger.
Skydence, the son of a close Trump ally, David Ellison, the technology billionaire and the world’s second richest man Larry Ellison’a.
“The Americans no longer trust the former national news media to report to the old national news media in a complete, accurate and fair way, Car said Carr, Carr, Carr. “It is time for change. So I welcome Skydence’s commitment to making significant changes in the CBS broadcasting network once.”
The merger came after Skydand and his investment partner Redbird Capital’s FCC’s commitment to neutral journalism representing different perspectives.
However, commitment to diversity sees conservative perspectives privileged. According to Carr, Skydand “made written commitments” will promise that the news network will discuss conservative complaints and stop their efforts to encourage their diversity, equality and inclusion.
Skydence said he would assign an ombudsman to evaluate his complaints about editorial prejudice or other concerns about CBS to encourage transparency and increasing accountability.
Anna Gomez, the only democratic commissioner in the FCC committee of the FCC, called the merger as a “agreement ına to Paramount’s $ 16 million agreement with the Trump administration. In addition, he rejected the decision as a movement as a mob that would erode the freedom of the press ”by implementing the decisions on the news room decisions and editorial judiciary.
Carr added: “The approval of this process will support all aspects of operations, including publications, will release $ 1.5 billion in Paramount.”
This has agreed to pay to the creators of South Park at the beginning of this week for global flow rights in the next five years.
The first episode of the Stireive Animation series, Trump, which was released on Wednesday and is now published in Paramount+ application, mocked as an autocrat with a small genital organs In bed with Satan. It also included the company’s subtle criticisms to settle with Trump and to cancel Colbert’s show.
The new South Park section ended by informing that its new owners agreed to give Trump $ 20 million in public service announcements and advertising free of charge. Resulted in the department A Fake Public Service AnnouncementApparently, in favor of Trump, he was depicting him naked with a miniature, speaking penis. “Trump is a tiny-handica of his penis”, a narrator festival, “But his love for us is great”.
Robert Mackey contributed to this report
