FCC Greenlights $8.4 Billion Paramount–Skydance Merger Amid Trump Controversy
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has officially approved the blockbuster $8.4 billion merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media, opening the door for a major shake-up in the entertainment world. The deal brings major names like the CBS television network, Paramount Pictures, and Nickelodeon under new ownership.
As part of the approval, the FCC transferred broadcast licenses for 28 CBS-owned stations to the new parent company—after Paramount coughed up $16 million to settle a lawsuit from Donald Trump. The suit stemmed from a fiery "60 Minutes" interview with then-VP Kamala Harris that aired back in October.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, insisted the agency's greenlight had nothing to do with the civil lawsuit. But the timing raised eyebrows—especially after Paramount pulled the plug on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” just days after the host torched the company for what he called “a big, fat bribe” to Trump.
Senator Elizabeth Warren didn't hold back either. She blasted the merger on social media, writing: “Sure looks like they paid Donald Trump $36 MILLION for this merger. Bribery is illegal no matter who is president.”
Skydance, owned by David Ellison—the son of Larry Ellison, a tech titan and close Trump confidante—assured the FCC it would uphold journalistic integrity and represent a “diversity of viewpoints”. But that so-called “diversity” appears heavily tilted toward the right-wing spectrum.
According to Carr, Skydance has made written commitments to address conservative complaints and vowed to eliminate any focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion across CBS's newsroom.
In an attempt to boost accountability, Skydance says it will appoint an ombudsman to handle editorial bias complaints and ensure transparency in CBS operations.
Still, not everyone’s buying it. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the sole Democrat on the three-member panel, called the deal “dangerous” and said it links directly to Paramount’s $16M settlement with Trump. She warned it could undermine press freedom by introducing “unprecedented newsroom controls.”
Carr, however, cheered the deal, claiming it would inject $1.5 billion into Paramount, supercharging everything from production to programming. Interestingly, that’s the exact same amount Paramount just paid the creators of South Park for global streaming rights for the next five years.
The timing couldn't have been more ironic. A brand-new episode of South Park—which premiered Wednesday—tore into Trump, mocking him as a whiny authoritarian with “small genitalia” and painting him in bed with Satan. The show also took jabs at Paramount for its Trump settlement and Colbert’s abrupt cancellation.
In classic South Park fashion, the episode ended with a fake public service ad claiming Trump had been gifted $20 million in free media coverage. The animated clip showed a naked Trump alongside a miniature, talking penis, ending with the line:
“Trump, his penis is teeny-tiny, but his love for us is large.”
Description:
"The FCC just approved Paramount’s $8.4 billion merger with Skydance—but not without backlash. From Trump payouts and Colbert's cancellation to South Park’s brutal takedown, here’s the explosive fallout shaking Hollywood."