Progressives are irate with California Attorney General Rob Bonta after the Paramount-Warner Bros. mega-merger cleared the way to move forward, even though Bonta had joined 11 other blue state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to stop it.
The frustration follows news that the legal fight is winding down. Bloomberg reported Monday that the states have agreed to a settlement with Paramount Skydance Corp., an agreement that paves the way for a takeover of CNN.
According to Bloomberg, the breakthrough came after a weekend of negotiations. “Settlement talks came to fruition over the weekend after four states that had opposed terms of a deal outlined with California conceded,” the outlet reported.
The settlement is expected to be announced later today, Bloomberg said, and it “paves the way for one of the largest mergers in Hollywood history.” In other words, a lawsuit brought by a dozen blue state attorneys general has ended not with a blocked merger, but with a settlement that lets the deal proceed.
For progressives, the outcome is a bitter pill. The lawsuit was meant to stop the merger, yet the deal is now set to move forward, and Bonta is the one drawing their anger for allowing it.
The settlement also raises fresh questions about the future of CNN. CNN’s own Brian Stelter reported Sunday that because CBS News is owned by Paramount, “There’s talk of a combination of [CNN] with CBS News if the deal goes through.”
That prospect carries added weight given who leads CBS News. The Ellisons named Bari Weiss as the network’s editor-in-chief nearly one year ago, an appointment that was seen as controversial at the time.
Put simply, the reporting lays out a clear sequence of events. A group of blue state attorneys general filed a lawsuit to stop the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger. Four states that had opposed the terms of a deal outlined with California then conceded over the weekend. A settlement with Paramount Skydance Corp. is now expected to be announced later today. And the path is open for a takeover of CNN, with talk of a combination between CNN and CBS News if the deal goes through.
Progressives, meanwhile, have made clear where they are directing their anger. With the merger poised to move forward despite the lawsuit Bonta joined, they are irate with the California attorney general for allowing it to happen.
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