Statement - The Ellisons’ Move to Control the Press

“Billionaire media mogul David Ellison’s effort to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery should send chills to the whole media industry and Americans across the country.”

WASHINGTON— Below is a statement from Dr. Courtney Radsch, Director of the Center for Journalism and Liberty at Open Markets regarding the news that Paramount Skydance is preparing a cash bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, backed by the Ellison family:

“Billionaire media mogul David Ellison’s effort to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery should send chills to the whole media industry and Americans across the country.

”Ellison just closed the Skydance Paramount merger, a deal that should have been blocked in the first place had the FCC actually exercised its true antitrust enforcement powers. How did he get the deal approved? By pledging to FCC Chair Brendan Carr that the newly merged corporation will have more control of editorial decisions in their news production — an especially dangerous threat given Big Media are already kowtowing to the Trump administration — and to shelve diversity programs for good. All in direct violation of the First Amendment and outside of the standard merger assessment criteria of the FCC.

”This proposal should be blocked by the FCC, if it ever does materialize. Its approval will only lead to further erosion of antitrust laws, freedom of the press, and dangerously shrink media plurality and diversity in America.”

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