It’s a done deal: the Justice Department approved Paramount’s purchase of Warner Bros., which will likely spark more interest in the fate of CNN. It could now fall under the editorial direction of CBS News’ Bari Weiss, who has led an overhaul of the outlet and its flagship show, 60 Minutes, causing controversy among liberal circles. Weiss dismissed the old guard in the producing staff and longtime host and anchor Scott Pelley, who could not tolerate the changes. Now, Weiss is among the candidates who might be chosen to direct CNN’s editorial stance (via WaPo):
"MAGA-Curious" lol pic.twitter.com/UaroiqE54a
— Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) June 12, 2026
🚨BREAKING: The Justice Department has approved Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros, which will give David Ellison control over CNN, Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Max, according to Politico. pic.twitter.com/gxjhne6GtA
— Off The Press (@OffThePress1) June 12, 2026
Antitrust regulators at the Justice Department on Friday approved Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, a merger that would create one of the largest companies in Hollywood and reshape the television news landscape.
In a statement, the Justice Department said it had concluded its eight-month investigation and found that the deal was unlikely to harm consumers because of corporate combination in streaming, linear television and content production.
The deal would put two major film and television studios (Paramount and Warner Bros.), streaming services (Paramount+ and HBO Max), and TV news giants (CBS News and CNN) under a shared roof.
“The extensive investigatory record reviewed by the Division suggests that the impact of the transaction will be to increase competition across the media and entertainment ecosystem, with benefits for American consumers and workers,” the department wrote in a statement.
The merger signals a quick accumulation of power for the son of Larry Ellison, the billionaire co-founder of Oracle and ally of President Donald Trump.
David Ellison’s Skydance took over Paramount last year in a deal heavily scrutinized by regulators. Since then, his mark has perhaps been most noticeable at CBS News, where his appointed editor in chief, Bari Weiss, has overseen tumult, layoffs and a high-profile blowup at the newsmagazine “60 Minutes.”
Politico first reported news of the deal’s approval.
The agreement could still be challenged. Regulators in Britain and Europe are still reviewing the deal, and a group of state attorneys general is reportedly considering suing to halt it on antitrust grounds.
If Weiss is chosen to take over CNN, the chaos would be intense. The irony is that Weiss isn’t even MAGA or conservative. She’s an old-school liberal, a former editorial writer at The New York Times, whose Free Press media venture was bought by CBS in October 2025, leading to her role as editor-in-chief at the network.
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