Paramount Chair Asked Cbs To Delay Negative Trump Coverage Amid Merger

Paramount Global Chair Shari Redstone reportedly asked CBS executives whether it would beryllium imaginable to hold airing news segments captious of President Donald Trump, according to anonymous sources successful a caller article from Puck News. The petition allegedly came successful April, amid Paramount’s pending $8 cardinal merger pinch Skydance Media.

Paramount concerned astir antagonistic Trump coverage

Redstone is said to person approached CBS CEO George Cheeks, expressing concerns astir disseminating politically delicate sum of Trump arsenic Paramount worked to adjacent a awesome business woody that would require nan support of Trump’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The network’s long-form news program “60 Minutes” has covered a wide scope of issues, including Trump’s overseas argumentation successful regards to Ukraine and Greenland, which drew criticism from nan president.

Trump responded to this sum successful a Truth Social station past month, accusing CBS of being “fake news” and calling connected nan FCC to levy “maximum fines and punishment” against nan network.

Previous conflicts betwixt Trump and CBS

The FCC is besides reviewing complaints concerning an earlier “60 Minutes” interview pinch then–Vice President Kamala Harris while she was connected nan run trail, which Trump has claimed was “deceptively edited.” CBS called those allegations false and explained that nan show regularly edits longer interviews down to 21-minute segments for nan cablegram program.

Paramount is presently successful mediation complete a $20 cardinal lawsuit revenge by nan president successful his backstage capacity complete this matter. CBS denies immoderate wrongdoing successful relationship pinch nan question and reply and has publically released a afloat transcript of its speech pinch Harris.

Fallout astatine CBS

While location is nary nationalist grounds that CBS altered its programming successful consequence to Redstone’s inquiry, nan business has reportedly stirred soul concerns complete editorial independence. Last week, long-time “60 Minutes” executive shaper Bill Owens stepped down, citing mounting unit that he said compromised journalistic autonomy and his expertise to do his work. Anchor Scott Pelley later addressed nan resignation on-air, defending Owens and criticizing what he called “interference from above.”

What happens next?

The merger betwixt Paramount and Skydance remains nether regulatory reappraisal by nan FCC. It had primitively been scheduled to adjacent by April 7, but pinch nan national agency’s reappraisal still ongoing, nan woody was granted an automatic 90-day hold on that deadline arsenic portion of nan statement betwixt nan companies.

Legal experts opportunity that President Trump’s lawsuit against CBS is frivolous and improbable to triumph successful court, but Paramount is reportedly exploring settling nan case pinch nan Trump management for between $15 cardinal to $20 million. ABC News, owned by Disney, precocious settled a lawsuit for $16 cardinal which media lawyers had besides likewise criticized arsenic frivolous.