FCC Clears $8bn Skydance-Paramount Merger

Friday, July 25, 2025

An $8bn (5.9bn) merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media has been approved by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Posted by REDIAL at 07:30 PM | 22 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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Trump gleefully announced that Paramount had paid its $16 million settlement--while confirming that he expected millions more in a side deal.

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-- The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast.bsky.social) Jul 22, 2025 at 5:34 PM

Comments

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So the apparent bribe was successful?

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-07-25 02:17 PM | Reply

So the check to Taco cleared.

#2 | Posted by Nixon at 2025-07-25 02:23 PM | Reply

So the apparent bribe was successful?

Lewzer's "fee" was only 0.2% of the cost of the merger. Not much of a deal for the world's greatest dealmaker.

#3 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-07-25 02:30 PM | Reply

He killed Colbert's show Redial, lolz.

#4 | Posted by Bluewaffles at 2025-07-25 04:24 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

He killed Colbert's show

And?

#5 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-07-25 05:01 PM | Reply

That was clearly part of the deal, even I'll admit that.

#6 | Posted by Bluewaffles at 2025-07-25 05:38 PM | Reply

" He killed Colbert's show "

Then how have I seen multiple new shows this week?

Fact is, if CBS was burning through cash and wanted him off the air ... they could've done it last week. Leaving him on is a (not-so) subtle middle finger to the current administration.

#7 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-07-25 06:25 PM | Reply

That was clearly part of the deal, even I'll admit that.

#6 | Posted by Bluewaffles

You're so proud of blatant corruption.

South Park missed that. MAGAts cheering on the corruption and Satan -------. You'd be in there with a camera jerking off at the two going at it. So would the rest of MAGA.

#8 | Posted by Sycophant at 2025-07-25 06:32 PM | Reply

Yikes Syco, do you ever stop to think first before typing?

#9 | Posted by Bluewaffles at 2025-07-25 06:38 PM | Reply

@#7 ... Leaving him on is a (not-so) subtle middle finger to the current administration. ...

Probably part of the ~negotiations~ that took place to clear the path for the deal.

#10 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-07-25 06:44 PM | Reply

Nobody should seriously consider canceling Paramount and then downloading a torrent download program like etorrent and then going to thepiratebay and downloading for free any content from paramount or skydance or CBS. Because to do so would be illegal and wrong.
And if you do do that, make sure that to protect yourself from getting caught, use a robust VPN program like NordVPN to protect your privacy.
Now nobody should consider this because it would be illegal and wrong.

Note, if you do do this, there would be no commercials and you could watch programs on your timeline. Oh, and nearly all modern TVs have a flash drive imput for transfers from your computer.

But again, don't do this.

#11 | Posted by prius04 at 2025-07-25 07:51 PM | Reply

Or you could just watch it on a foreign web site that streams it. In that case it's not illegal at all, at least for the downloaders.

#12 | Posted by sentinel at 2025-07-25 08:05 PM | Reply

PRIUS, 2007 called they want their pirating techniques back.

#13 | Posted by Bluewaffles at 2025-07-26 03:56 PM | Reply

I'll just keep paying my subscriptions, you know, so the hardworking people who create the contents can keep getting paid.

#14 | Posted by Miranda7 at 2025-07-26 06:09 PM | Reply

How does a company lose 40 million a year and still make billions in profits?

Bend the knee to a billionaire president and watch the profits roll in.

#15 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-07-27 02:17 PM | Reply

Probably will cancel my subscription to paramount on Colberts last Late Night. It's gonna be fun watching him eviserate Trumpy nightly for another year. But after that they can "create content" without me.

#16 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-07-27 02:23 PM | Reply

"
#7 | POSTED BY DANFORTH AT 2025-07-25 06:25 PM | REPLY | FLAG:"

His interact expires May 2026. It's not being renewed.

#17 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-07-27 02:35 PM | Reply

" His (contract) expires May 2026. It's not being renewed."

And?

ABC took Rosanne off immediately. CBS could've done the same thing. And, according to their own claims, save about $25-30 million.

You know ... it being a purely financial decision, and all.

#18 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-07-27 02:40 PM | Reply

"ABC took Rosanne off immediately. CBS could've done the same thing. And, according to their own claims, save about $25-30 million.
You know ... it being a purely financial decision, and all.

#18 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-07-27 02:40 PM |"

Early cancellation probably would have resulted in a buyout. Rosanne was completely different - she was removed the show itself moved forward. Thomas Gibson was removed from Criminal Minds for behind the scenes crap and the show moved forward. You are comparing apples and oranges.

#19 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-07-27 10:08 PM | Reply

Take off the tinfoil hat. It's unbecoming.

#20 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-07-27 10:09 PM | Reply

@#19 ... Rosanne was completely different . ...

How was Rosanne completely different?

Why Did Roseanne Leave The Conners? Her Exit Explained (November 2024)
screenrant.com

... While its spinoff The Conners grounded its cameos in the show's reality, Roseanne season 9 earned massive critical backlash for its unrealistic storylines, jarring tonal change, and pointless celebrity cameos.

After spending almost a decade depicting the believably hardscrabble existence of the Conner family, Roseanne season 9 opened with the family winning the lottery and becoming millionaires overnight.

This twist was abhorred by fans and critics alike and effectively ensured Roseanne's subsequent cancelation. ...

#21 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-07-27 10:29 PM | Reply

@#19 ... Early cancellation probably would have resulted in a buyout. ...

A buyout of what?

A show that CBS says loses money?

OK...

CBS: Hey, you want to buy this show, it loses only $30 million a year?

Prospect: Are you crazy?

That aside, my main serious question is along the lines of ...

How many years has that show been losing money?

And, if that number is more than 2 or 3, why did not CBS take this action previously?

#22 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-07-27 10:34 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1