Broadcasting

Whither Goest CNN?

by


Article in Poynter by Tom Jones 2/27/26

Headline:  “Opinion | CNN future in question after Thursday’s stunning Warner Bros. Discovery sale news”

Subhead:  “Paramount’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery puts CNN’s future and its editorial independence in question”

“What does the future hold for CNN?

“That’s one of the big media questions following the stunning news that broke Thursday evening. Netflix has decided to withdraw its pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery. That now paves the way for David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance to take over WBD, including cable news network CNN . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/netflix-pulls-out-warner-bros-discovery-paramount-deal/

Media Deal or Not?

by


Article in The Guardian by Coral Murphy Marcos, 2/27/26

Headline: ” ‘Not a done deal’: California vows ‘vigorous’ review of Paramount-Warner Bros takeover”

Subhead: “Attorney general says $111bn deal will be investigated amid concerns over monopoly power and job losses”

“Rob Bonta, California’s attorney general, said his office will investigate a possible merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery, hours after Netflix backed away from a planned takeover. . .”

”Bonta said in a post on X. ‘These two Hollywood titans have not cleared regulatory scrutiny — the California Department of Justice has an open investigation, and we intend to be vigorous in our review.’ . . . ”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/27/california-paramount-warner-bros

– – – – – –

Article in Media Matters by Matt Gertz, 2/26/26

Headline:  “With Paramount set to take over WBD, Trump just steered a major news outlet into the hands of a crony”

Subhead:  “He wants to turn America into Hungary”

“Another major media conglomerate teeters on the precipice of being absorbed by a deep-pocketed ally of President Donald Trump and his administration.

At the end of last week, Netflix had a signed deal to purchase the theatrical and streaming divisions of Warner Bros., with the company’s cable division — including CNN — set to be spun off into a separate company. Netflix had previously defeated a rival offer for all of Warner Bros. from Paramount, the media conglomerate owned by David Ellison, a Trump favorite and the son of the president’s buddy Larry Ellison, the billionaire. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediamatters.org/cnn/paramount-set-take-over-wbd-trump-just-steered-major-news-outlet-hands-crony

More Grabbing ALL the media

by

Article in the New York Times, by By Lauren HirschMichael M. Grynbaum and Benjamin Mullin, 2/26/26

Headline:  “Netflix Backs Out of Bid for Warner Bros., Paving Way for an Ellison Takeover”

Subhead:  “The move was a stunning development in the long-running corporate battle for the storied media giant.”

“Netflix said on Thursday that it would not counter Paramount’s higher bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, a stunning development that essentially assures the media giant will end up under the control of a rival bidder, the technology heir David Ellison.

“Netflix had beat out Paramount in December to sign an $83 billion deal to acquire a large portion of Warner Bros. Discovery’s business, including HBO and the storied Warner Bros. movie studio. The acquisition was poised to cement Netflix, once a striving outsider to the film and entertainment business, as the pre-eminent juggernaut of Hollywood. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/business/warner-bros-discovery-paramount-deal-netflix.html

– – – – –

Article in The Hill by Dominick Mastrangelo, 2/26/26

Headline: “Paramount wins bid to acquire Warner Brothers Discovery after Netflix bows out”

“Netflix on Thursday said it would not match a bid from Paramount seeking to acquire Warner Brothers Discovery, the sprawling media empire that includes legacy brands in news and entertainment like CNN and HBO.

“News of the streamer bowing out of its deal with Warner Bros. Discovery came just minutes after the David Zaslav-led company said it considered the hostile bid mounted by Paramount to be a ‘superior’ offer to the one it struck with the streamer late last year. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5757985-netflix-declines-warner-discovery/

– – – – –

Article in Free Press by Staff, 2/26/26

Headline: “Paramount Skydance’s Takeover of Warner Bros. Is Bad News for Workers, Consumers and Free Expression”

“On Thursday, the Warner Bros. Discovery board decided to abandon its plans to sell the company to Netflix in favor of a Paramount Skydance bid. . .”

Free Press Co-CEO Craig Aaron said:  “The Netflix deal was disastrous but this new one is even worse. The idea that Paramount should be allowed to control CBS and CNN should be unthinkable, especially given their record of turning the Tiffany Network into a trash heap. The Ellisons have already promised the Trump administration that they’ll make sweeping changes to CNN given the chance, and we know what that means: firing journalists, spiking important stories, and replacing the news with empty propaganda. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.freepress.net/news/paramount-skydances-takeover-warner-bros-bad-news-workers-consumers-and-free-expression

CNN Now Discovering Evidence?

by

Article in Mediaite by Tommy Christopher, 2/26/26

Headline: “CNN Anchors Make Major Change To Trump-Epstein Sex Crimes Disclaimer Amid Bombshell Revelations”

“. . .For months, CNN anchors and reporters have frequently followed their discussions of Trump and Epstein by saying, for example: “We should point out there is no evidence of wrongdoing against President Trump related to Epstein.’ That verbiage has been used as recently as this past week. . . .’

“On Wednesday night’s edition of CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, host Anderson Cooper reported on the new development with a new disclaimer, telling viewers “we should point out here the President has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with Jeffrey Epstein” . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/cnn-anchors-make-major-change-to-trump-epstein-sex-crimes-disclaimer-amid-bombshell-revelations/

CNN Anchor Points Out . . .

by


Article in Comic Sands by Alan Herrera, 2/23/26

Headline: “CNN Anchor Calls Out The Brutal Truth About The Countries That Joined Trump’s ‘Board Of Peace’ “

“CNN anchor Abby Phillip pointed out the brutal truth about the countries that joined President Donald Trump’s ‘Board of Peace,’ noting that citizens of half the countries that have joined the initiative . . . can’t even get a visa to the U.S. . .”

Phillip said, “The point is we have found those countries to be so unreliable and so risky and perhaps even nexuses of danger and terrorism that we won’t even let their citizens get a visa, but they’re on a ‘board of Peace’?. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.comicsands.com/phillip-board-peace-visas

MAGA Defector Bridge-Burning?

by


Article in Raw Story by Robert Davis, 2/23/26

Headline:  “This MAGA media figure is about to cause ‘a whole lot more drama’ for Trump: analyst:”

“A MAGA media figure is about to cause ‘a whole lot more drama’ for President Donald Trump, according to one analyst.

“Last week, Tucker Carlson released an interview with Trump’s ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, where he accused a former Israeli Prime Minister of visiting the infamous Epstein Island and other remarks that left pro-Israel Republicans steamed, Will Sommer at The Bulwark reported on Monday. For instance, pro-Israel voices like Laura Loomer and Dave Rubin spoke out against Carlson’s interview. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-2675303066/

More CBS Grief?

by

Article in The New York Times by Maggie Astor and Benjamin Mullin, 2/23/26

Headline:  “Peter Attia Leaves CBS News Amid Epstein Files Fallout”

Subhead:  “Emails showed that the longevity influencer had provided medical advice to Jeffrey Epstein and had made crude comments about women.”

“The longevity influencer Peter Attia has resigned from his position as a contributor to CBS News, about three weeks after the revelation of his relationship with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. . .”

“Dr. Attia was one of several high-profile contributors recently named to CBS News by Bari Weiss, the new editor in chief, . .”

“The controversy over Dr. Attia is the latest setback for CBS News, which has found itself in the headlines since Ms. Weiss took over last year. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/well/peter-attia-cbs-epstein.html

New Media Companies

by

Article in The Guardian by Jeremy Barr, 12/23/26

Headline:  “A CBS News personality is starting his own media company – but keeping his day job”

Subhead:  “David Begnaud is launching an independent media company using the beehiiv platform while remaining a contributor at the network”

“As media jobs disappear and the industry shifts even further to a focus on individual personalities, rather than global brands, many journalists are choosing to leave stable jobs and strike out on their own by starting paid newsletters on platforms such as Substack and beehiiv. . .”

“On Monday morning, the longtime CBS News personality David Begnaud announced that he would be keeping his day job as a contributor while starting an independent media company called Do Good Crew . . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/23/cbs-news-david-begnaud-beehiiv

CBS Censored Interview for FCC?

by

Article in The Hill by Sophie Brams, 2/18/26

Headline:  “Colbert dismisses CBS statement on Talarico interview: ‘I’m just so surprised’ “

” ‘Late Show’ host Stephen Colbert on Tuesday dismissed CBS’s denial that it blocked his interview with Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico from airing as ‘crap.’

“ ‘They know damn well that every word of my script last night was approved by CBS lawyers, who, for the record, approve every script that goes on the air,’ Colbert said during his show Tuesday evening.

“ ‘In fact, between the monologue I did last night, and before I did the second act talking about this issue, I had to go backstage,’ he continued. ‘I got called backstage to get more notes from these lawyers. Something that had never, ever happened before.’

Colbert told viewers on Monday that CBS, which is owned by Paramount, said he could not have Talarico on the broadcast over concerns about the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) ‘equal time’ rule. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5743078-colbert-cbs-talarico-interview/

– – – – –

Article in The Guardian by Jeremy Barr, 2/18/26

Headline:  “FCC chair Brendan Carr says media were ‘lied to’ over Stephen Colbert controversy”

Subhead: “Carr says the Federal Communications Commission has also opened an enforcement action into ABC’s the View“

“The chair of the US’s top media regulator claimed on Wednesday that journalists had been tricked into covering claims by the late-night host Stephen Colbert that he had been blocked by his network from interviewing a Texas Senate candidate. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/feb/18/fcc-brendan-carr-stephen-colbert

CBS “Balanced” to the Right?

by


Article in New York Times byJohn Koblin, 2/17/26

Headline:  “Colbert Says CBS Pulled Senate Candidate Interview”

Subhead: “Stephen Colbert said he had to drop an interview with James Talarico from his Monday broadcast because of new F.C.C. guidance that targeted political interviews on late-night shows.”

“Stephen Colbert said on his late-night show on Monday that his network, CBS, barred him from airing an interview with a Democratic candidate for a U.S. Senate race because of new guidance from the Trump administration about equal airtime for political candidates. . .”

“Mr. Colbert pointed to new guidance from the F.C.C. from January, warning media companies that talk shows carried on local broadcast networks were required to offer equal airtime to candidates competing for the same office. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/business/media/colbert-cbs-fcc-talarico-carr.html

– – – – –

Article in Daily Kos by Emily Singer, 2/17/26

Headline: “How the GOP’s latest media meddling is a major self-own”

“If you wanted a textbook example of the Streisand Effect, look no further than the Trump administration’s meddling in the Texas Senate race.

CBS News refused to air late night host Stephen Colbert’s interview with Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico, who is currently locked in a competitive Senate primary with Rep. Jasmine Crockett. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/17/2369185/-How-the-GOP-s-latest-media-meddling-is-a-major-self-own?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_1&pm_medium=web