Norm Eisen on the Paramount Merger, plus Trump and TV News
On this episode of Start Making Sense, how Gavin Newsom undermined the state attorney generals’ anti-trust action, plus John Nichols on the White House ban of CNN, MS Now and Politico.
Paramount Studios on September 21, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.
(Mario Tama / Getty Images)The primary force behind the settlement that will allow Trump’s allies at Paramount to take over Warners-Discovery and CNN was Gavin Newsom, who pressured California Attorney General Rob Bonta to end the anti-trust fight defending media independence. Norm Eisen explains—he’s co-founder and executive chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund and Democracy Defenders Action, and, the New York Times reported, “the leader of a coalition of entertainment and news industry professionals who opposed the deal.”
Also: After Trump banned CNN, MS Now and Politico from the White House newsroom, the TV networks united in refusing coverage of his events—including Fox News. John Nichols has our analysis.
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Norm Eisen on the Paramount-Warners Merger, plus Trump and TV News / Start Making Sense
The primary force behind the settlement that will allow Trump’s allies at Paramount to take over Warners-Discovery and CNN was Gavin Newsom, who pressured California Attorney General Rob Bonta to end the anti-trust fight defending media independence. Norm Eisen explains – he’s co-founder and executive chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund and Democracy Defenders Action, and, the New York Times reported, “the leader of a coalition of entertainment and news industry professionals who opposed the deal.”
Also: After Trump banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House newsroom, the TV networks united in refusing coverage of his events – including Fox News. John Nichols has our analysis.
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