Senator Bernie Sanders has lashed out at the Federal Communications Commission after the agency approved a plan allowing significant foreign investment in a potential merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery. In a scathing social media post on Friday, the Vermont senator described the move as outrageous, specifically targeting the fact that investment funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates could own up to 49.5 percent of the newly formed entity. Sanders argued that American media should not be under the control of Middle Eastern dictators, noting that the deal would encompass an enormous swath of cultural influence including CNN, CBS, HBO, and MTV.
The decision sparked immediate backlash within the FCC itself, where Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez accused the agency of sneaking the ruling through as a staff level decision without a public vote. Gomez expressed concern that such massive investments from repressive governments do more than just provide capital; they secure undue influence over what information is shared and what stories are told to the American public. This sentiment was echoed by analysts at the Center for American Progress, who cautioned that these authoritarian regimes have histories of media censorship and could potentially leverage US news outlets to serve their own geopolitical interests at the expense of national security.
Critics and legal experts argue that existing safeguards against foreign interference are largely illusory. Lee Hepner of the American Economic Liberties Project suggested that any promises regarding editorial independence are essentially unenforceable unless monitors are embedded in every private communication between executives and investors. He warned that Paramount would be unlikely to approve content that risked offending its primary financial backers, citing a chilling effect on journalism especially concerning regimes known for persecuting reporters.
Despite these warnings, both Paramount and the FCC dismissed concerns about foreign control as speculative. A spokesperson for Paramount emphasized that while foreign entities may hold equity, voting shares will remain concentrated with David Ellison and RedBird Capital. However, those opposing the 111 billion dollar merger maintain that financial leverage is its own form of power regardless of formal voting rights. For now, the broader merger remains stalled pending a trial scheduled for March due to ongoing challenges from labor unions and state attorneys general.