Trump endorses Paramount merger with David Ellison’s Skydance
As a film enthusiast penning my thoughts, I find myself reflecting on the latest developments in the Hollywood scene. In this case, it’s about President Trump giving his seal of approval to David Ellison’s acquisition of Paramount Global – a whopping $8-billion deal that has been mired in complexity due to his multibillion-dollar lawsuit involving CBS’ “60 Minutes.
On Wednesday, Trump was questioned concerning the delay in the federal examination of Skydance’s acquisition of the renowned entertainment company. This query arose while journalists gathered near the president on the White House grass to observe the installation of a flagpole.
The Paramount-Skydance agreement is still under review at the Federal Communications Commission, having been submitted for approval back in the autumn.
Trump said he hoped the deal goes through.
“Ellison is great. He’ll do a great job with it,” Trump said.
Later, it seemed that he linked the postponement of the merger review to his legal action against CBS and its parent company Paramount, concerning the “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris from last autumn.
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Two Democratic representatives from California are planning a hearing to scrutinize Paramount Global’s attempts to resolve Donald Trump’s $20-billion lawsuit. State Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) expressed his astonishment, stating, “I have not witnessed such blatant behavior from a president.
Since last October, Trump has consistently claimed that the interview with Kamala Harris was manipulated to boost her prospects in the November election. CBS has refuted these claims, stating that the edits made were standard practice. However, the unedited footage confirmed that Harris’ words were accurately represented. Despite this, Trump’s team argued that he experienced emotional distress due to the broadcast.
Trump stated on Wednesday, “Kamala’s response was appalling.” In other words, I might express it as “extremely concerning for the election’s outcome.” … What she said was extremely concerning due to its incompetence.
As a seasoned movie critic, I find myself in the midst of a unique situation. The 1st Amendment experts are labeling Trump’s case as baseless, yet Paramount Pictures, a cinematic titan, is eager to steer clear of a drawn-out legal battle. The visionaries at Paramount are vigorously pursuing a settlement, aiming to smooth the way for the company’s acquisition by Skydance Media — a deal that hinges upon the approval of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The mediation process to resolve the lawsuit, filed in a Texas court, has become protracted.
Trump stated on Wednesday that they are currently in discussions for a resolution,” he said, adding that the departure of two senior CBS executives – the head of CBS News and the producer of “60 Minutes” – occurred unexpectedly during the prolonged assessment of their merger.
“They’re all getting fired,” he said.
Over the weekend, I found myself engrossed in the latest developments of the ongoing court case involving Trump’s legal team. They submitted documents requesting an extension on the deadline for the discovery phase, hinting at active negotiations between both parties to find a resolution.
Recently, Ellison had a brief encounter with Trump during their seats at a UFC match in New Jersey, as depicted in videos circulated online. Skydance Media did not comment on the details of Ellison’s conversation with Trump.
This year, it was the second occasion that Ellison had a conversation with the president during a UFC event. The first instance took place in April.
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Trump, ‘60 Minutes’ and corruption allegations put Paramount on edge with sale less certain
Three Democratic senators in the House have expressed concern that any payment made to Trump for favorable treatment from regulators might breach federal anti-bribery regulations. They stated that Paramount’s interactions with Trump suggest potential issues of corruption and unacceptable behavior.
Approximately a year has passed since Shari Redstone, Paramount’s majority shareholder, and other Paramount directors agreed to an $8-billion two-phase deal, which transfers ownership of the company to the son of tech mogul Larry Ellison – a known supporter of Donald Trump. This transaction also includes the Ellison family acquiring National Amusements Inc., Redstone’s investment firm.
Skydance, a company based in Santa Monica, plans to merge its operations with Paramount, which owns the Melrose Avenue movie studio, the streaming platform Paramount+, CBS television network, and cable networks like Comedy Central, Showtime, and BET.
Skydance operations and personnel will be folded into Paramount.
The agreement requires only one more regulatory clearance: FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s approval for the transfer of 29 CBS television station licenses from the Redstones to the Ellisons. This week, the Senate confirmed Trump’s second GOP nominee to the commission, Olivia Trusty.
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2025-06-18 23:01