David Ellison claims opposition to his mega-merger stems from potential CNN control
📰 source: theguardian_business · 💼 business
paramount ceo david ellison says the legal fight over his $111bn merger with warner bros discovery isn't about market share — it's about whether he can be trusted to control cnn. in a new york times guest essay tuesday, ellison argued the deal has been approved by regulators in 65 countries, including the us, and that the backlash stems from political speculation rather than competition concerns.
ellison, son of tech mogul larry ellison, pointed to reporting about promises made to the trump administration to sway cnn's coverage, and said he has voted for both parties and holds mixed views. the controversy goes back to last summer, when his skydance media closed an $8.4bn merger with paramount global. cbs abruptly canceled the late show with stephen colbert, and ellison later put bari weiss in charge of cbs news, a move that brought layoffs and editorial tension.
the merger is now stalled in a california court after a 12-state coalition sued to block it. a judge temporarily halted the deal, and paramount chose to wait for trial rather than push forward. the two sides have proposed different trial dates: november 2025 or april 2027. ellison wrote that he won't bend newsrooms to his views, insisting independence is core to cnn and cbs news.
why it matters: a $111bn media mega-merger is stalled in court over cnn control claims, with trial dates split between this year and 2027.
source: theguardian_business
sentiment: -0.30 · impact: 0.80