Paramount-WBD Talks Stall as States Push for Tougher Remedies
Settlement talks between Paramount and a 12-state AG coalition over the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery deal continued without a resolution; California appears open to concessions, including separate studio operations, a 30-film-per-year theatrical commitment with penalties, a third-party editor to oversee CNN/CBS News, and a $1.5B California production-investment requirement, while New York and Connecticut AGs push for tougher protections like stronger newsroom independence and employee safeguards. Even if a settlement is reached, closing won’t be immediate due to financing complexity and a potential hiatus for Yom Kippur; the DOJ and FCC had previously approved the merger without remedies.