Paramount Global Chair Shari Redstone reportedly asked CBS executives whether it would be possible to delay airing news segments critical of President Donald Trump, according to anonymous sources in a recent article from Puck News. The request allegedly came in April, amid Paramount’s pending $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.
Paramount concerned about negative Trump coverage
Redstone is said to have approached CBS CEO George Cheeks, expressing concerns about disseminating politically sensitive coverage of Trump as Paramount worked to close a major business deal that would require the approval of Trump’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The network’s long-form news program “60 Minutes” has covered a wide range of issues, including Trump’s foreign policy in regards to Ukraine and Greenland, which drew criticism from the president.
Trump responded to this coverage in a Truth Social post last month, accusing CBS of being “fake news” and calling on the FCC to levy “maximum fines and punishment” against the network.
Previous conflicts between Trump and CBS
The FCC is also reviewing complaints concerning an earlier “60 Minutes” interview with then–Vice President Kamala Harris while she was on the campaign trail, which Trump has claimed was “deceptively edited.” CBS called those allegations false and explained that the show regularly edits longer interviews down to 21-minute segments for the cable program.
Paramount is currently in mediation over a $20 billion lawsuit filed by the president in his private capacity over this matter. CBS denies any wrongdoing in connection with the interview and has publicly released a full transcript of its conversation with Harris.
Fallout at CBS
While there is no public evidence that CBS altered its programming in response to Redstone’s inquiry, the situation has reportedly stirred internal concerns over editorial independence. Last week, long-time “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens stepped down, citing mounting pressure that he said compromised journalistic autonomy and his ability to do his work. Anchor Scott Pelley later addressed the resignation on-air, defending Owens and criticizing what he called “interference from above.”
What happens next?
The merger between Paramount and Skydance remains under regulatory review by the FCC. It had originally been scheduled to close by April 7, but with the federal agency’s review still ongoing, the deal was granted an automatic 90-day extension on that deadline as part of the agreement between the companies.
Legal experts say that President Trump’s case against CBS is frivolous and unlikely to win in court, but Paramount is reportedly exploring settling the case with the Trump administration for between $15 million to $20 million. ABC News, owned by Disney, recently settled a case for $16 million which media lawyers had also similarly criticized as frivolous.
