FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr on alleged social media censorship, Kamala Harris file on broadband help, the formal criticism on CBS 60 Minutes distorted interview with Harris and criticism of Elon Musks Starlink.
Paramount International co-CEO George Cheeks insisted on Wednesday that his firm wanted to settle President Donald Trump’s “election interference” lawsuit with the intention to keep away from unpredictable authorized prices, the potential of an antagonistic judgment, and disruptions to enterprise operations.
Paramount International and CBS agreed on Tuesday to pay a sum that might attain north of $30 million to settle the president’s $20 billion lawsuit in opposition to CBS over its dealing with of a “60 Minutes” interview final yr with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump will obtain $16 million upfront. It will cowl authorized charges, prices of the case, and contributions to his future presidential library or charitable causes, to be decided at Trump’s discretion.
Cheeks boasted throughout Wednesday’s stockholder assembly that CBS Information wasn’t compelled to supply an apology and tried to justify the settlement from a enterprise perspective.
Paramount International Co-CEO George Cheeks, seen right here in 2024, insisted on Wednesday that his firm wanted to settle President Donald Trump’s “election interference” lawsuit. (Tommaso Boddi/Selection through Getty Pictures)
“Firms typically settle litigation to keep away from the excessive… unpredictable value of authorized protection, the chance of an antagonistic judgement that can lead to important monetary, in addition to reputational, harm. And, the disruption of enterprise operations that extended authorized battles could cause,” Cheeks stated.
“Settlement presents a negotiated decision that permits corporations to give attention to their core targets, relatively than being mired in uncertainty and distraction,” Cheeks continued.
There’s anticipation that there can be one other allocation within the mid-eight figures put aside for commercials, public service bulletins or different comparable transmissions, in help of conservative causes by the community sooner or later, Fox Information Digital has realized. With these concerns, CBS would pay nicely in extra of the $15 million ABC paid Trump to settle a defamation lawsuit final yr.
US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media on the South Garden of the White Home earlier than boarding Marine One in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg through Getty Pictures / Getty Pictures)
Present Paramount administration disputes the extra allocation, however a long-planned multi-billion-dollar merger with Skydance Media is looming.
“This lawsuit is totally separate from, and unrelated to, the Skydance transaction and the FCC approval course of. We are going to abide by the authorized course of to defend our case,” Paramount stated in a earlier assertion on the Skydance transaction.
A supply aware of Paramount’s present management advised Fox Information Digital that solely the preliminary $16 million was sanctioned by the official mediator they usually had no information of any deal Trump made with incoming possession.
Skydance Media CEO David Ellison, who would management CBS after the deliberate merger, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The lawsuit alleged CBS Information deceitfully edited an alternate Harris had with “60 Minutes” correspondent Invoice Whitaker, who requested her why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn’t “listening” to the Biden administration. Harris was extensively mocked for the “phrase salad” reply that aired in a preview clip of the interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Columnist Liz Peek and the Nationwide Evaluations Caroline Downey react to claims that CBS edited Kamala Harris solutions in interview on Kudlow.
Nevertheless, when the identical query aired throughout a primetime particular on the community, Harris had a special, extra concise response. Critics on the time accused CBS Information of deceitfully modifying Harris’ “phrase salad” reply to defend the Democratic nominee from additional backlash main as much as Election Day.
The uncooked transcript and photographs launched earlier this yr by the FCC confirmed that each units of Harris’ feedback got here from the identical response, however CBS Information had aired solely the primary half of her response within the “Face the Nation” preview clip and aired the second half throughout the primetime particular.
CBS Information had lengthy denied any wrongdoing and stood by the printed and its reporting.
Earlier this yr, FCC Chair Brendan Carr ordered CBS Information handy over the unedited transcript as a part of its probe into whether or not the community violated the FCC’s “information distortion” coverage after a criticism was filed. CBS had refused to launch the unedited transcript till the FCC received concerned.
Trump’s attorneys amended their lawsuit to incorporate a number of excerpts from the unedited transcript in hopes of bolstering their case that CBS Information withheld unflattering exchanges with the intention to assist the Democratic nominee.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Fox Information Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.