Move over, Murdochs - a new family dynasty is shaking up US media

David Ellison, 42, built Skydance into a studio producing films such as True Grit, Mission: Impossible and World War Z, and pushed the company into television, gaming and sports.

“- Published Tech billionaire Larry Ellison and his son, Hollywood producer David, have long walked the halls of the world's elite”

BBC

Last month he completed a takeover of Paramount backed by his father and became boss of a sprawling operation with more than 18,000 employees, including oversight of CBS.

BBC

The deal required blessing from the Federal Communications Commission, which the article says is led by Trump loyalist Brendan Carr.

As conditions attached to the merger, David Ellison has appointed Kenneth Weinstein as ombudsman and announced that Face the Nation will air only live or unedited interviews.

The Ellisons are also said to be preparing a bid for Warner Brothers Discovery, which would include HBO and CNN and would require competition regulator clearance.

The article says Oracle/TikTok ties and other deals would expand their reach into social media and news.

Critics on the left warn the Ellisons' rising media power and ties to the White House pose risks to democracy.

The media watch group FAIR said control of CBS, CNN and a major platform like TikTok "would be dangerous for democracy."

BBC

Senator Elizabeth Warren called any Paramount-Warner Brothers tie-up a move to be blocked as a "dangerous concentration of power."

House Democrats have opened an investigation into whether Paramount-Skydance made commitments to Trump to secure approval.

The article notes Paramount agreed to pay $16m to settle a lawsuit with Trump just weeks before the deal was approved.

The article also records that Trump said the "new owners" had promised him millions worth of free advertising or programming.

The article records pushback, including Skydance partner Gerry Cardinale saying trying to influence news would be "bad business."

Analysts pointed to Wall Street enthusiasm for a studio tie-up and some said news likely represents a small financial piece of the Ellisons' wider content strategy.