Booker Slams Paramount-WBD Deal as DOJ Fails — SkimNews
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- Cory Booker condemned the Paramount-WBD merger settlement, calling it a failure of federal enforcement that allows structural consolidation to proceed unchecked
- Paramount threatened to leave California if blocked by state AGs, a move Booker labeled 'extortion' meant to coerce regulatory approval
- Justice Department abandoned its antitrust role, according to Booker, forcing states to act alone while the federal agency allowed a merger combining nearly a third of the theatrical film and basic cable markets
- David Ellison declined an invitation to testify at Booker’s April 'spotlight' hearing on the merger, where opponents like Mark Ruffalo voiced concerns about media concentration
- CNN and CBS News will be subject to an editorial review board handpicked by David Ellison, a provision Booker dismissed as insufficient to protect journalistic independence
- Pete Hegseth publicly expressed eagerness for the Ellisons to take over Paramount, while Booker alleged improper access between the company and top DOJ officials including then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche
Why it matters: The merger reduces Hollywood’s major studios from five to four and consolidates control over nearly a third of both theatrical films and basic cable under one entity, with behavioral remedies replacing structural fixes—putting workers, creators, and consumers at risk of reduced output, higher prices, and diminished press independence. Booker’s scrutiny signals potential antitrust backlash if Democrats regain Senate control.
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