{"id":2630247,"date":"2026-07-15T16:55:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T20:55:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/brendan-carr-pans-californias-efforts-to-block-paramount-warner-bros-merger\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T16:56:50","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T20:56:50","slug":"brendan-carr-pans-californias-efforts-to-block-paramount-warner-bros-merger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/brendan-carr-pans-californias-efforts-to-block-paramount-warner-bros-merger\/","title":{"rendered":"Brendan Carr pans California&#8217;s efforts to block Paramount-Warner Bros. merger"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbrendan-carr-pans-californias-efforts-to-block-paramount-warner-bros-merger%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2630247&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr expressed skepticism about a legal effort led by California and 11 other states to block the proposed merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Revelation. California filed antitrust lawsuits seeking to prevent the deal, which is currently under review by the FCC, notably regarding the participation of foreign investors, mainly from Middle Eastern sovereign funds. Carr doubted the legitimacy of the legal challenge, suggesting it might be motivated by other interests, such as California&#8217;s alleged conditions for dropping the suit related to the sale of CNN. <\/p>\n<p>the merger, valued at $110 billion and the largest in Hollywood history, requires FCC approval due to notable foreign investment. Courts are involved in the legal process, with a hearing scheduled to decide on a temporary restraining order. Paramount aims to close the deal by September 30,with the company prepared to defend itself in court if necessary. The ongoing litigation has prompted Paramount to seek recusal of a judge and consider related lawsuits, including one from the Writers Guild of America.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, controversy over FCC officials attending a Kennedy Center gala funded by paramount and its subsidiaries has emerged, with Carr denying any inappropriate conduct. The merger&#8217;s approval depends on various regulatory approvals,including from the EU and the DOJ,which has already approved the deal. The outcome of the lawsuits and regulatory reviews will determine weather the merger proceeds as planned.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/federal-communications-commission\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1637\">Federal Communications Commission<\/a> Chairman Brendan Carr said on Wednesday he doubts a 12-state coalition, led by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"60\">California<\/a>, will succeed in blocking the pending <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mergers-and-acquisitions\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"616\">merger<\/a> between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/antitrust\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1187\">antitrust<\/a> lawsuit on Monday, asking a federal court in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/san-francisco\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1873\">San Francisco<\/a> to grant a preliminary injunction that would prevent the transaction from closing while litigation plays out. The Democratic official later requested a 14-day temporary restraining order to pause the deal while the court considers the broader injunction request.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4649054\/socialism-flame-thrower-dry-grass-joe-concha\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Socialism like \u2018a flame thrower to dry grass\u2019: Joe Concha<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div 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whatever\u2019s going on\u2019 for decades<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carr believes the blue states\u2019 legal challenge is not a \u201clegitimate\u201d effort, considering Bonta reportedly wanted <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/paramount\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"16440\">Paramount<\/a> to sell <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cnn\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"732\">CNN<\/a> if the entertainment studio acquired the cable news channel\u2019s parent company.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere was a story that broke a couple weeks ago that said that California was floating the idea, according to news reports, of dropping all of the antitrust litigation if there was one condition that was met, which is that the purchase involved the spinning off of CNN,\u201d Carr said in an interview at the Hill Nation Summit in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/washington-dc\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"260\">Washington, D.C.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNow, I don\u2019t understand what antitrust theory you have that says there\u2019s a problem with this acquisition that is made or broken based on one cable channel being included,\u201d he added. \u201cSo, I think that\u2019s a bit of a tell that this really isn\u2019t a legitimate antitrust case, but ultimately that\u2019ll be up for the courts to decide.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When he announced the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/oag.ca.gov\/system\/files\/attachments\/press-docs\/Redacted%20Paramount%20Warner%20complaint%20%20-%20file%20stamped.pdf\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/oag.ca.gov\/system\/files\/attachments\/press-docs\/Redacted%20Paramount%20Warner%20complaint%20%20-%20file%20stamped.pdf\">expected lawsuit<\/a> on Monday, Bonta denied his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DylanByers\/status\/2070539984772501646\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DylanByers\/status\/2070539984772501646\">reported interest<\/a> in a CNN divestiture.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe gossip machine is on overdrive right now,\u201d he said in response to a reporter\u2019s question at a press conference in front of the famous <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hollywood\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"133\">Hollywood<\/a> sign. \u201cPeople are saying things that have no relationship to the facts, to the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The FCC chairman\u2019s remarks come as the commission actively reviews foreign investments in the $110 billion merger, the largest in Hollywood history.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paramount is seeking the FCC\u2019s approval to raise total foreign equity in the merger to 49.5%, with sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates accounting for 38.5% of the equity. The FCC has not made a decision on the review yet, and Carr did not provide an update on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bonta\u2019s lawsuit left out any mention of foreign investments in the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. entity, but the topic has been a cause of concern for many Democratic lawmakers who wish to halt the merger.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The antitrust case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge P. Casey Pitts, an appointee of former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"471\">Joe Biden<\/a> in the Northern District of California. Pitts will hold a Friday hearing on Bonta\u2019s motion for a temporary restraining order.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The plaintiffs want the federal judge to issue his decision by July 22, the earliest date by which Paramount intends to close the transaction. It is also the deadline for when the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/european-union\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1177\">European Union<\/a> intends to either approve or reject the merger within its jurisdiction.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"438\">Department of Justice<\/a> gave its regulatory approval to the merger last month, adding the United States to the list of countries that gave Paramount and Warner Bros. their blessing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paramount hopes to close the transaction by the end of the third quarter on Sept. 30, barring any court order that halts the deal. If the deadline is not met, Paramount would have to pay Warner Bros. shareholders about $650 million per quarter for every quarter the deal is not closed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paramount vowed to defend the merger in court if the lawsuit proceeds.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe lawsuit filed by the state attorneys general, in the most generous light, reflects a fundamentally flawed application of the antitrust laws and is wrong on both the facts and the law,\u201d a spokesperson said. \u201cDelaying this transaction will only harm entertainment workers who have already suffered over recent years as technology has disrupted their livelihood and cost California tens of thousands of entertainment jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paramount filed an <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.cand.474157\/gov.uscourts.cand.474157.54.0_1.pdf\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.cand.474157\/gov.uscourts.cand.474157.54.0_1.pdf\">emergency motion<\/a> on Wednesday seeking Judge Pitts\u2019s recusal from the case that would be reassigned to a different Biden-appointed judge who is already considering a related action in the federal district.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin is presiding over a preexisting suit brought by Paramount+ subscribers. Additionally, the Writers Guild of America filed a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wga.org\/uploadedfiles\/news_and_events\/public_policy\/wga-v-paramount-warner-bros-complaint.pdf\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.wga.org\/uploadedfiles\/news_and_events\/public_policy\/wga-v-paramount-warner-bros-complaint.pdf\">separate lawsuit<\/a> on Tuesday to block the merger itself. Martinez-Olguin is considering whether all three pending cases should be related.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4646111\/california-leads-multistate-antitrust-lawsuit-block-paramount-warner-bros-merger\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4646111\/california-leads-multistate-antitrust-lawsuit-block-paramount-warner-bros-merger\/\">CALIFORNIA LEADS MULTISTATE ANTITRUST LAWSUIT TO BLOCK PARAMOUNT-WARNER BROS. MERGER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier Wednesday, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/paramount-mergers-fcc-kennedy-center-gala\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/paramount-mergers-fcc-kennedy-center-gala\">ProPublica reported<\/a> that Carr and FCC commissioners accepted expensive tickets to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kennedy-center\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"6434\">Kennedy Center<\/a> Honors gala in December after the agency approved Skydance Media\u2019s $8 billion acquisition of Paramount Global last year. The black-tie event was broadcast by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cbs\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1329\">CBS<\/a>, a subsidiary of Paramount. The Trump-appointed chairman disputed the report.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI have no idea what the basis for that is,\u201d Carr said at the Hill Nation Summit. \u201cIt sounds like it has no basis at all.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Carr doubts California-led effort will block Paramount-Warner merger<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2159,"featured_media":2630248,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26128715966345.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4045,69039,54802,68291],"class_list":["post-2630247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-california","tag-media-merger","tag-paramount-2","tag-warner-bros-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26128715966345.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2630247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2630247"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2630247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2630250,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2630247\/revisions\/2630250"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2630248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2630247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2630247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2630247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}