Elizabeth Warren says both bids to buy Warner Bros. Discovery are bad for consumers
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat representing Massachusetts, is calling for scrutiny of two bids to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. In an interview with Morning Edition, Warren said the deals raise serious concerns about antitrust and would reduce competition for viewers and workers.
Warner Brothers agreed to an $83 billion sale to Netflix, but that deal is not finalized. And now Paramount Skydance — owned by Larry Ellison, one of the world’s richest people, and his son David Ellison, founder of Skydance Media — is pursuing the company through a hostile takeover.
Warren said Paramount Skydance’s effort raises added concerns, given the Ellisons’ ties to President Trump and foreign investors.
She warned the deal could leave “one person who basically decides what movies are going to be made, what you’re going to get to see on your streaming service, and how much you’re going to have to pay for it.” Warren also raised questions about whether news could be “controlled by a political ally of the President.”
Listen to the full interview by clicking play on the blue box above.
Editor’s note: Warner Bros. Discovery is among NPR’s financial supporters.
The radio version of this interview was produced by Phil Harrell and edited by Olivia Hampton. The digital version was adapted for the web by Majd Al-Waheidi and edited by Obed Manuel.
Ivey releases proposed state budgets
Lawmakers are often running in Montgomery having finished the first week of this year's legislative session. It's a week that saw the announcement of Gov. Kay Ivey's budget proposal, along with the first bills starting to make their way through the legislative process. We talk about that with Todd Stacy, host of Capital Journal on Alabama Public Television.
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FEMA is getting rid of thousands of workers in areas recovering from disasters
Thousands of employees whose contracts end this year will lose their jobs, FEMA managers said at personnel meetings this week. The cuts could hobble the nation's disaster agency.
