Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) is demanding information from the FCC on the events that led to the agency’s approval of Skydance’s merger with Paramount Global, coming just weeks after a $16 million settlement was announced of Donald Trump‘s lawsuit against CBS.“The sequence of actions and statements leading up to and following the FCC’s merger approval, including Paramount’s $16 million settlement with President Trump just days before the FCC issued its approval, raises significant questions and alarm that the FCC – an independent regulatory agency – has become a vehicle for President Trump to exact personal retribution and undermine the freedom of the press,” Schiff wrote in a letter sent on Monday to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.Schiff is seeking details on the FCC’s discussions related to editorial decisions and content at CBS. As part of the merger approval, Skydance committed to a diversity of viewpoints, while ending diversity, equity and inclusion policies.Schiff wrote, “As you are aware, the FCC’s authority – and its limits – are rooted in the First Amendment. The Communications Act of 1934 explicitly declares that nothing in the statute ‘shall be understood or construed to give the Commission the power of censorship over the [broadcast] communications or signals transmitted by any [broadcast] station, and no regulation or condition shall be promulgated or fixed by the Commission which shall interfere with the right of free speech by means of [over-the-air] broadcast communication.’ As such, the FCC does not have the authority to dictate editorial content, punish perceived political bias, compel or silence specific viewpoints, or reward parties on the basis of efforts to garner favor with elected officials.”Schiff has previously raised questions about the timing of CBS’ decision to cancel The Late Show iwth Stephen Colbert, coming just before the FCC gave its approval of the transaction. Schiff was a guest on the show the night that the cancellation decision was announced.CBS has said that the show was dropped for financial reasons. In announcing its settlement of Trump’s $16 million lawsuit against the network, Paramount Global said that it was unrelated to the FCC merger review. But Democratic senators have raised the prospect that anti-bribery laws may have been broken. Trump’s lawsuit was over the way that 60 Minutes edited an interview with Kamala Harris, his campaign rival last year. Skydance officials say that they have complied with laws as they sought merger approval.Schiff also cited Trump’s claims that the settlement also included $16 million in commitments from the newly merged company to run public service announcements. Trump later wrote that the figure was $20 million, although he said that it was an amount they “anticipate.”Schiff wrote, “The FCC’s recent actions are especially troubling considering President Trump’s history of disparaging the press and undermining the protections afforded to them by the Constitution. He has repeatedly accused news agencies of bias or unfair reporting when the coverage is unfavorable to him, most recently stating that licenses for networks that he views as ‘political pawns for the Democrat Party…could, and should be revoked!’ In a blatant example of Trump’s political interference in the FCC’s regulatory review, the President boasted on Truth Social about his ‘BIG AND IMPORTANT WIN’ against Paramount just two days before the Commission’s approval of the company’s merger with Skydance. The President went on to name several other respected media outlets, announcing he was putting them ‘ON NOTICE’ and signaling his intent to continue weaponizing litigation and regulatory review as a tool to intimidate the press across the media landscape.”Among Schiff’s questions are, “What First Amendment analysis did the Commission conduct prior to accepting Skydance’s commitment to achieve editorial ‘balance’?” and “Did the FCC have any knowledge of, or communications with, the White House, Skydance, or Paramount concerning a potential $20 million public service announcement or advertising commitment connected to the settlement or merger approval?”In seeking the information, Schiff cited Congress’ “constitutional obligation to perform oversight of regulatory agencies.” He is requesting answers to a series of questions from the FCC by Aug. 25.An FCC spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment.
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