FCC clears large non-voting foreign stake in Paramount from Gulf sovereign funds
The FCC approved Paramount Skydance’s plan to raise up to 49.5% indirect foreign ownership via non-voting stakes held by Saudi Arabia's PIF, the UAE, and Qatar, while the Ellison family retains voting control; the ruling, issued by the Media Bureau as a declaratory order, says the investment should not influence editorial decisions and requires ongoing monitoring. The move is tied to financing for Paramount's proposed Warner Bros. Discovery merger, which faces antitrust litigation and state challenges; critics warn about foreign influence in American media and there was no full commission vote.
