Skydance Media might lastly win regulatory approval for its $8 billion deal to merge with Paramount World — however the course of might appear like one thing out of “Mission: Impossible.”
That’s the phrase from sources near the megadeal, who inform me that beneath phrases of a merger approval being mentioned by the incoming Trump administration’s Federal Communications Fee, Paramount’s CBS community might be pressured to make a slew of unusual and dramatic modifications.
Viewers might discover a few of them arduous to overlook.
The working precept right here — and it’s an enormous one to unpack, as mentioned under — is that CBS might be required to totally abide by requirements set for US broadcast licensees to be “neutral” information organizations.
Based on individuals near Trump’s transition staff, CBS might, amongst different issues, be pressured to show over a full transcript of the controversial “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris, which these within the Trump orbit imagine reveals the community performed soiled in the course of the 2024 election.
However individuals near the scenario inform me the stakes might be far broader than that. Briefly, Skydance — a Hollywood film studio greatest recognized for producing the current installments of “Mission: Impossible” — can be requested to show to Crew Trump that CBS will turn out to be a good arbiter of stories.
If that feels like a far-fetched process that’s higher suited to Tom Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt, you wouldn’t be flawed.
It will imply, for instance, that CBS would not tilt its information protection in favor of Democrats, together with how its anchors comport themselves throughout presidential debates.
The Trump individuals level to CBS VP-debate moderators Margaret Brennan and Norah O’Donnell, who had been equally criticized for displaying bias in chopping off and fact-checking Trump working mate J.D. Vance in his Oct. 1 faceoff with Tim Walz.
Colbert softballs
In the meantime, CBS’s lefty “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert isn’t simply biased in his commentary, he actually hosted a Dem fundraiser at Radio Metropolis Music Corridor the place he threw softball questions at Joe Biden, Invoice Clinton and Barack Obama.
After Trump’s Nov. 5 victory, enter incoming FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who’s effectively conscious of the entire above and needs to finish such left-wing propaganda in alternate for Skydance receiving FCC approval. In contrast to cable, equity requirements apply to conventional, native TV.
“Make no mistake, Brendan needs CBS to be the impartial information group that its FCC license calls for,’’ says one particular person conversant in Carr’s pondering.
“And that extends to Colbert. They will call it comedy, but you can’t use the public airwaves to be an extension of the DNC.”
It might not damage that Skydance is run by David Ellison, who’s getting monetary backing from his dad, Larry, the co-founder of Oracle whose internet value is pegged by Forbes at $231 billion — and who additionally occurs to be a serious Trump supporter.
Nonetheless, all of this can be a good distance from the tenor of the talks earlier than Nov. 5.
The deal was considered locked up.
As I’ve reported, the Biden-Harris administration signaled it noticed no issues on antitrust grounds.
Then issues obtained a bit of loopy. CBS, as soon as thought of the gold normal of unbiased journalism, has more and more tilted to the left and Republicans imagine that tilt reached epic proportions in the course of the 2024 election.
First got here the interior strain imposed on “CBS Mornings” anchor Tony Dokoupil after his robust questioning of far-left author Ta-Nehisi Coates, who penned a screed that attacked Israel for its response to the brutal Oct. 7 Hamas bloodbath.
Then got here the “60 Minutes” episode. The Trump camp believes this system selectively edited an Oct. 7 interview with Kamala Harris — whose signature dish is “word salad” — to make her sound smarter.
Carr is a longtime telecom activist and commissioner who made a reputation for himself elevating questions concerning the Chinese language-owned short-video app TikTok and whether or not the CCP is utilizing the service for spycraft.
Individuals who know Carr say he plans to make use of the FCC approval course of — which might take months and add further prices to the Paramount buy that the brand new house owners wish to keep away from — to squeeze guarantees of neutrality out of them.
Larry made the decision
High Skydance executives are saying they’ve the entire thing locked up given the Trump-Ellison bromance; Larry has already made a name to Trump to push the deal by.
However individuals near Carr say Larry Ellison and the Skydance staff won’t totally recognize how a lot Trump is aware of concerning the “Art Of The Deal” — and the way a lot he hates CBS and its anti-Trump bias.
Trump could also be poised to have it each methods: assist his good friend Larry with Carr approving the transaction — however solely after CBS ’fesses as much as its lefty bias and vows to show again towards overlaying information as a substitute of being an advocacy arm of the Democratic Social gathering.
Carr declined to remark; a Skydance spokeswoman had no remark.
