Merger opponents seek chance to challenge Paramount settlement

A coalition opposing Paramount’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery has filed an emergency motion asking a federal judge for permission to formally challenge a settlement between Paramount and 12 state attorneys general. The motion seeks a chance to present objections before Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín rules on the proposed consent decree; the judge’s decision on the request and the decree’s status remain unresolved. The settlement, reached earlier this week in the states’ antitrust lawsuit, sets conditions intended to address concerns about the proposed merger. The Block the Merger coalition argues the terms do not adequately resolve potential harms and may be difficult to enforce. The coalition includes Free Press, the Committee for the First Amendment, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, the Future Film Coalition and the International Documentary Association, among other groups. The proposed decree includes a commitment to release at least 30 films in theaters annually and to establish editorial independence boards for CBS and CNN.