Don’t Let Foreign-Backed Billionaires Take Over Our Media

The FCC just cleared the way for foreign government-backed investment funds to own a massive stake in one of America’s most powerful media companies.

Paramount is closing in on a $110 billion deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, bringing CBS, CNN, HBO, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., “The Daily Show,” major sports rights, and more under one corporate roof. Now the FCC has approved Paramount’s request to allow sovereign wealth funds tied to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to hold major indirect equity interests in the combined company.

That should alarm anyone who cares about independent media. If the deal is finalized, foreign-backed billionaires and government-linked investment funds could gain enormous financial leverage over a company that controls major newsrooms, entertainment studios, streaming platforms, and broadcast assets.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of state attorneys general sued to stop the merger. Now reports say Paramount is negotiating with the states, with possible settlement terms that could allow the deal to move forward. We can't allow that to happen.

Tell California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the state AG coalition: Reject any weak settlement agreement and keep fighting to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. mega merger.

Media consolidation is not just a business story. It affects what people see, what stories get told, which journalists keep their jobs, and whether powerful corporations can silence scrutiny. When fewer companies control more newsrooms, studios, and distribution channels, the public loses competition, accountability, and independent voices.

State attorneys general must stand firm. They have the power to reject a weak deal, continue the lawsuit, and demand that the courts fully scrutinize whether this merger serves the public interest. But they need to hear from the public before Paramount locks in a settlement that protects corporate power instead of people.

Add your name now and demand that state attorneys general hold the line against this foreign-backed billionaire media takeover.

The petition to California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the state attorneys general challenging the merger reads:

"Reject any weak settlement and continue the legal fight to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger unless it fully protects competition, independent journalism, workers, consumers, and the public interest. Do not allow foreign-backed billionaires, foreign government-linked investment funds, and media giants to consolidate control over America’s news and entertainment landscape."