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Democrats Warn Their Party May Try To Unravel Any Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Deal (semafor.com) 206

As the battle over Warner Bros. Discovery grows, two Democratic lawmakers are warning that their party may try to block or unravel any acquisition by Paramount when it returns to power. Semafor: In a letter to the WBD board and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent first shared with Semafor, Reps. Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) said they were concerned about the national security risk of letting foreign entities control a large portion of the US entertainment and media industry.

They also hinted that a future Democratic Congress and administration could try to unravel any Paramount-WBD deal. "Future Congresses ... will review many of the decisions of the current Administration, and may recommend that regulators push for divestitures, which would undermine the strategic logic of this merger," they wrote. "We urge the Board to weigh these national security and regulatory liabilities in evaluating a transaction burdened by uncertain but potentially extensive mitigation obligations, foreign influence risks, or adverse regulatory action."

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Democrats Warn Their Party May Try To Unravel Any Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Deal

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  • by skam240 ( 789197 ) on Wednesday December 10, 2025 @02:16PM (#65849129)

    Given Trump's past actions it seems almost guaranteed he will try to interfere given who is backing Paramount. Let's see if the Democrats can actually accomplish something meaningful now.

  • Is this some kind of toothless threat? Either you have the power to block a deal now, or you don't. The likelihood any court will let you call 'takebacksies' on a multibillion deal that affects tens of thousands of employees is... unlikely.

    • by ClickOnThis ( 137803 ) on Wednesday December 10, 2025 @02:35PM (#65849207) Journal

      Congress and courts have un-merged companies in the past. It could happen again.

      • by JBMcB ( 73720 )
        They can unwind deals after they are complete. It's pretty rare, because it's messy and expensive for all parties involved.

        Also, given the rubber-stamping of the last dozen or so media mergers, it would be difficult for the government to explain why this particular merger would be harmful, while the last dozen mega-mergers and divestitures were just fine.
    • It is a toothless threat, but not because of the courts, pah. The Democrats always defend the new normal, no matter how bad it is. Nothing bad ever gets rolled back.

    • Maybe, but business leaders should consider the pain of government crawling all the way up their ass when this gross spell finally breaks.

      Right now we're so far right we're taking swastikas off the hate symbols list and rolling people up in the streets. When the pendulum swings its gonna swing just as far in the other direction- but it's actually be done with laws and legislation. The Orange empower is ruling by EO.

      Nearly every single dumbass thing we've been doing in the past 9 months can be unrolled with

    • Is this some kind of toothless threat? Either you have the power to block a deal now, or you don't.

      I found this article [bloomberg.com] (paywalled so I can't read it) talking about how Senator Warren wants to do exactly that, re-review previously approved mergers. Sanders and Warren have also lobbied to un-approve Meta's acquisition of WhatsApp and Instagram, Google's acquisition of DoubleClick and Waze, and Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods and Zappos. If the Democrats get a trifecta in DC, they might get this passed.

      Personally, I think this would be a disastrous policy. We limit the amount of time we can debate elec

  • Jared Kushner (Score:4, Interesting)

    by bramez ( 190835 ) on Wednesday December 10, 2025 @02:26PM (#65849165)

    I think the main reason is that "Affinity Partners, the private equity firm led by Jared Kushner, is part of Paramount's hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery, according to a regulatory filing."

    • Re:Jared Kushner (Score:4, Informative)

      by jacks smirking reven ( 909048 ) on Wednesday December 10, 2025 @02:42PM (#65849241)

      Also how bullshit is it that Kushner get's to be effectively a cabinet member, working person in the admin, represents the admin in negotiations but is also allowed to effectively represent Saudi, Qatari and Emirati interests in this deal?

      Kushner and Saudis back hostile takeover of Hollywood giant [popular.info]

      Kushner’s involvement in the deal highlights the ongoing legal and ethical problems with his dual role. On the one hand, Kushner is operating as a high-ranking official representing the Trump administration in the most sensitive foreign policy matters. On the other hand, he is being paid by and partnering with Middle Eastern governments as they seek to expand their political, economic, and cultural interests.

      *Everything* this admin does has to be viewed as glad handing and self serving. It's all they know how to do.

  • by EndlessNameless ( 673105 ) on Wednesday December 10, 2025 @02:27PM (#65849169)

    The Paramount offer has substantial backing from Saudi Arabi and other Gulf nations.

    This is the same royal family that funds Wahhabist groups. While some people are quick to point out that "not all Muslims are extremists", this is specifically an extreme branch of Islam with deeply anti-American sentiment.

    We do not need to entangle this country with such a grotesque regime. We do not need our economic success to line their pockets.

    • by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

      Fun part: Saudi royal family has been trying to remove wahhabists for at least two decades at this point. If you want to see how serious they are, read up on their latest relaxing on alcohol sales in Saudi Arabia.

      Current generation is desperate to get rid of the islamists. They're the single biggest threat to their rule. Most of the support is in the rank and file bureaucracy and citizenry, who are much less cosmopolitan than the rulers.

      If you want to fight islamic extremism, Xers and Millenials among royal

      • Still a murderous regime, just getting into bed with more profitable partners. They are motivated by greed and power, nothing else. They are not better people all of sudden; they are making better friends to move up in the world.

        If private citizens were investing, that would be different. But fuck the concept of a royal family, and fuck this royal family in particular.

        • by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

          I have bad news: values you listed are universally human. If that is your criteria for "partners", all humans are out.

          For that matter, all life on this planet is out, because all life on this planet is motivated by greed and power. Because having a territory (power) from which you can gain nourishment (greed) is a prerequisite for everything else in life.

      • by skam240 ( 789197 )

        Saudi Arabia still has plenty of other qualities that make them highly unattractive for ownership of any news media in a Democratic nation.

        • by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

          All nations and all peoples have plenty of "other qualities that make them highly unattractive for ownership of any news media in a Democratic nation".

          Including all of "democratic nations".

          Reminder: when your measuring stick returns same result of "has other qualities...", your measuring stick is unsuitable for purpose of determining what would a good fit.

          • by skam240 ( 789197 )

            All nations and all peoples have plenty of "other qualities that make them highly unattractive for ownership of any news media in a Democratic nation".

            Right, so that means Saudi Arabia owning part of an American news organization is just as good as the UK. Then you go on to lecture me about measuring sticks? Your response here is ridiculous.

          • No, we as a democracy as more than in our rights to say that other democracies are more fit to own news.

            We don't have to give a shit what non-democracies decide to use as measuring sticks, it's irrelevant.

  • Much xenophobe

    So Trump

    Wow

  • by MpVpRb ( 1423381 ) on Wednesday December 10, 2025 @02:55PM (#65849297)

    It seems like Paramount is owned by a scumball and Netflix makes a lot of crappy shows
    I wonder which option sucks less?
    I wonder if any mega-corp can make good art?

    • Just about every movie today is subject to meddling from the studios and management. There's probably a handful of directors who are immune, Cameron, Speilburg, and Lucas come to mind. Kubrick too in his day.

  • F! the politicians. They are ALL blatantly corrupt! One side wants things to go their way for their political reasons, the other side wants it to go their way for their political reasons. FUCK THEM BOTH! They should all just stay the FUCK out of peoples business. Both parties need to be utterly dismantled!

    If one crappy company wants to sell to another crappy company - let them. Let people vote with their $$$$. If they don't like the gaining platform - cancel subscriptions en mass. The ONLY thing companie
    • The only lesson AB learned is "the public is fickle and news cycles last only days or weeks" they haven't really lost anything long term.

      And that's kindof the point, thinking a bunch of individual consumers can affect industries that are so large is kindof unrealistic, it's a massive collective action problem and the power asymmetry is wild. It's a fantasy that the world works this way.

  • by reanjr ( 588767 )

    Democrats are learning from their opponents.

    • by Touvan ( 868256 )

      I'd LOVE for that to be true. It isn't. Democrats are pathologically incapable of understanding what's going on...

  • Don't announce what you're going to do, just DO it. There is no reason that Larry Ellison should be allowed to own both CBS and CNN. We already have a Fox News and OAN, and Sinclair, and RT, and scores of corrupt assholes supporting a serial child rapist president and career criminal.

    • by Ogive17 ( 691899 )
      Because they have no real ability to do it at this time, not controlling any branch of the government.

      But after the next major election cycle, they may gain enough seats to actually do something about it.

      Right now they are setting up a campaigning point - telling the general population that if they are given the power they will make a move that aims to benefit consumers. Also, this type of move can be made to paint Republicans into a corner, make them go on record supporting such a deal and use that ag

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