Paramount, Skydance and the thrust of national amusements for the approval of the FCC of their merger agreement awaiting $ 8 billion continues, the representatives of the three companies meeting the only democratic commissioner of the agency, Anna Gomez.
According to a new regulatory deposit displayed on Tuesday, representatives praised the “important benefits of the public interest” on Friday at a meeting with Gomez. They also responded to the concerns raised by third parties who filed petitions in the procedure.
Among the petitioners are the Teamsters Union, which proposed a condition that would establish a floor on the number of full -time employees at the stations owned by CBS, who would be in force for eight years from the date of approval of the merger.
Fuse Media also called for a “fixed programming percentage on New Paramount streaming platforms for independent content providers, offered in prices, non-discriminatory terms and conditions”, while the association of affiliates of CBS Television Network asked that the problems of approval of the agreement linked to the “CBS control on finances finances and” virtual “of the agreement”
Negotiations, exclusive programming and affiliate renewal practices. »»
In addition, the Center for American Rights proposed a condition for requiring an “increased network trolley of content produced locally from affiliated and owned and exploited stations, as well as the recruitment of personnel from a wide range of ideological points of view”. He also asked that the merger be conditioned on a commitment to avoid foreign influence, citing a minority participation in Skydance of Tencent Holdings in China.
Paramount, Skydance and Nai declared that the agreement would preserve and improve “the inheritance and the wide range” of the National CBS Television Network and the 28 local television stations owned and operated on the company. The group has argued that the agreement would not reduce competition, not citing any interest due to the Skydance dissemination stations or Redbird Capital Partners.
He also declared that the parties seeking to “regulate the third-party programming trolley on New Paramount streaming platforms, the expansion of the collective mandate
The negotiation provisions and take place in the commercial provisions between CBS and its network affiliates “relate to problems which are not specific to transactions and which would be” more appropriate in separate commission procedures “.
The last talks intervene after David Ellison met Brendan Carr on July 15, where the first expressed New Paramount’s commitment to impartial journalism and said that he would guarantee that CBS’s editorial decision -making reflects the “varied ideological perspectives of American viewers”.
Ellison also undertook to promote “non-discrimination and equal opportunities for employment” in New Paramount and declared that his planned governance structure “would not be subject to any Chinese or other foreign influence”, noting that Tencent’s participation is an unvit and passive passive interest of less than 5%.
Gomez notably asked that the Skydance merger be held to a vote by the Complete Commission, rather than the approval by the delegated power of the FCC media office.
She recently castigated Paramount rules with Trump, calling for this a “desperate decision” to appease the administration and secure regulatory approval, adding that he establishes a “dangerous precedent for the first amendment”.
She also argued that the approval of the Skydance transaction behind closed doors and “under the coverage of the bureaucratic process” would be a “shameful result which refuses the American people the transparency and the responsibility they deserve, especially when the freedom of the press is at stake”.
The merger of Paramount-Skydance recently sparked its second automatic extension of 90 days, which pushed the final closing date until October 6. If the agreement is not concluded from here, Paramount and Skydance would have the possibility of terminating the agreement, which would not be subject to the breakdown costs of $ 400 million in the agreement.
