Top News:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
A Paramount shareholder lawsuit claims David and Larry Ellison made an illegal deal with Trump in trade for approval of the WBD merger, promising to revamp CNN — Paramount Skydance chief David Ellison and his tech billionaire dad Larry Ellison have been sued by a Paramount shareholder …
Discussion:
Chancery Court of the state of Delaware, Deadline, Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, @mleeds2048.bsky.social, @freedom.press, @leftocorangehater.bsky.social, Free Press Action Fund Feed, The Wrap, Annotated DC, Freedom of the Press …, Baller Alert, NewsMax.com, The A.V. Club, Bloomberg Law, Raw Story, Columbia Journalism Review and r/MediaMergers
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Gene Maddaus / Variety:
Paramount agrees to a request from 12 states, led by CA, to link their federal antitrust case in the WBD merger to an existing Paramount+ subscriber lawsuit — Paramount has agreed to a request from 12 states to link their federal antitrust case to a pre-existing suit brought by Paramount+ subscribers.
Brian Stelter / CNN:
Sources: execs expect a judge to grant a temporary restraining order delaying the Paramount-WBD merger; Paramount still expects to close the merger before Q4 — Executives involved in the pending Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery deal expect that a judge will hit pause on the takeover plan in the coming days.
Ted Johnson / Deadline:
Brendan Carr proposes repealing the national ownership cap, which restricts amassing TV stations that cover more than 39% of households, and sets an Aug. 6 vote — FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is proposing a repeal of the national ownership cap, which restricts broadcasters from amassing stations …
Discussion:
Breitbart, Ars Technica, Inside Radio, Roll Call, Variety, Los Angeles Times, FCC, CNN, @lucas_shaw, Newser, Poynter, Matthew Keys on LinkedIn, @jeremymbarr, The Hill, The Verge, Reuters, Politico, TV Tech, Blockonomi, The Wrap, Barrett Media, Radio & Television …, Bloomberg, The Hollywood Reporter, TVNewsCheck and Bloomberg Law
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
The NYT filed a motion Wednesday to quash DOJ subpoenas of three of its reporters demanding they disclose their sources, following coverage of Air Force One — The Justice Department is seeking to compel grand jury testimony as part of an investigation into Times reporting on the president's new Air Force One jet.
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David A. Graham / The Atlantic:
Acting AG Todd Blanche has shown he's willing to stifle the free press, through subpoenas of WSJ, NYT, and WaPo reporters and a search of a WaPo reporter's home
Acting AG Todd Blanche has shown he's willing to stifle the free press, through subpoenas of WSJ, NYT, and WaPo reporters and a search of a WaPo reporter's home
Discussion:
Poynter, New York Post, The Hill, TheGrio, The Contrarian, Associated Press, Florida Politics, Talking Points Memo, UPI, New Republic, PBS NewsHour, NPR, NewsMax.com, NOTUS, Mediaite, New York Times, Fox News, @jbendery, MS NOW, Semafor, CBS News, @theatlantic, @jonlemire, @steadystate2025, @dagtoddblanche, RADAR, Courthouse News Service, Wall Street Journal, Media Matters for America, @attorneynora.bsky.social, @dankennedy.net, HuffPost, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post and CNN
Corey G. Johnson / ProPublica:
Ethics disclosures show 7 out of 10 FCC commissioners since 2016 have accepted Kennedy Center tickets worth thousands courtesy of CBS or its parent company — Reporting Highlights — Expensive Gifts: Despite regulating broadcast media, FCC commissioners have accepted pricey tickets …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Staff Stories, @billspaced.com, The Hollywood Reporter, @cdarwin@c.im, @coreygjohnson.bsky.social, Media Play News, @lauren@mastodon …, NextDraft, Gadget Review, TheDesk.net, Mediaite, @portiamcgonagal.bsky.social, The Wrap, @bstnboy.bsky.social, @nicolefcarr.bsky.social, @andrewlevesque.bsky.social, @alanpringle@mstdn.social, @schwanksta.com, @ProPublica@newsie.social, New Republic and Lawyers, Guns & Money
GTLN:
The Georgia Trust for Local News purchased The Macon Telegraph and The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer from McClatchy; The Macon Melody will merge with The Telegraph — Deal will revitalize local journalism in Middle, West and South Georgia — Dublin, Ga. - The Georgia Trust for Local News today purchased …
Ariel Zilber / New York Post:
Layoffs hit Altice USA's News 12 operations around NYC; source: at least three dozen employees across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Westchester, and Connecticut were cut — An earthquake hit local broadcast journalists across the New York metropolitan area this week as News 12 carried out sweeping layoffs …
Discussion:
@jamesqueallylat, @ftmarkets, @petersterne, FTVLive, @benbrodydc, Financial Times, FTVLive and 06880
The Associated Press:
Microsoft adds funding to the AP Fund for Journalism, enabling APFJ to provide 10 local newsrooms in Washington state with AP elections coverage and resources — AP Fund for Journalism (APFJ) today announced funding from Microsoft to strengthen the local news ecosystem in Washington state ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Discussion:
The Associated Press on LinkedIn and Emily Brown on LinkedIn
Riddhi Setty / Columbia Journalism Review:
A look at Privacy Act lawsuits against the government that result in journalists being subpoenaed to reveal their sources, and their impact on press freedom — Catherine Herridge, a former Fox News reporter, is being compelled to pay $800 a day until she reveals confidential sources.
Mike Masnick / Techdirt:
A US federal judge rules the State Department engaged in unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination by denying visas to researchers studying misinfo and disinfo — Last year, the Marco Rubio-run State Department announced that it would start denying visas to people who worked …
Discussion:
ZeroHedge News, @masnick.com, @jzb@hachyderm.io and @robertscotthorton.bsky.social
Financial Times:
Filings: the US government says it is considering joining Donald Trump's lawsuit against the BBC; the BBC says the “conflict of interest is clear and stark” — Move raises clear conflict of interest concerns between president and state, says broadcaster
Winston Cho / The Hollywood Reporter:
Letter: Tennessee Deputy Governor Stuart McWhorter urged David Ellison to move Paramount's corporate headquarters from California to Tennessee — Paramount CEO David Ellison and his family have deep ties to the Volunteer State and the mogul is now in a legal battle with California.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Nashville Business Journal, Bisnow, The Daily Wire, The Streamable, Deadline, LaineyGossip, Cord Cutters News, @danielnmiller, Raw Story, New York Post, @losangeles1850.bsky.social, @filmbrainbmb.bsky.social, @karlbode.com, @willmckinley.bsky.social, New York Sun, Breitbart and r/MediaMergers
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Todd Spangler / Variety:
The Writers Guild of America sues Paramount and WBD in an effort to stop their merger, claiming the deal would hurt wages and working conditions for writers
Discussion:
US District Court, Northern District of California, The Wrap, Inverse, Graphic Policy, Mercury News, The Ankler, Media Play News, @balancecrafting, @balancecrafting, Broadband TV News, Wyatt Fore on LinkedIn, The Hollywood Reporter, The A.V. Club, Advanced Television, Writers Guild of America West, Civil Discourse …, Kellie Lerner on LinkedIn, Associated Press, Screen, Wall Street Journal, @cinephiliabeyond.org, @filmbrainbmb.bsky.social, Los Angeles Times, IndieWire, Cord Cutters News, Front Office Sports, @susanrinkunas.com, Reuters, Deadline, Oh No They Didn't!, MediaPost, Bloomberg, Fast Company, Bloomberg Law and CNBC
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Trump's recent comment on a “normal path” for CNN raised eyebrows amid the Paramount-WBD merger; Paramount would need CNN revenue to help pay off $80B in debt
Trump's recent comment on a “normal path” for CNN raised eyebrows amid the Paramount-WBD merger; Paramount would need CNN revenue to help pay off $80B in debt
Discussion:
The Hill, @agrobbonta, @danpfeiffer, @danpfeiffer, @danpfeiffer, @xynw585, The Message Box, Variety, MS NOW, Reuters, New York Magazine, The Wrap and r/MediaMergers
