A wave of protests ahead of Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders’ vote on the merger with Paramount
According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, as shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) prepare to vote on the sale of the company to Paramount, a tense atmosphere has taken hold of the entertainment industry. In this context, Senator Cory Booker (Democrat from New Jersey) has released a 13-minute video titled “The Warner Bros.–Paramount Merger: Corporate Advertising Monopoly.”
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) held a virtual press conference on Wednesday with media and antitrust leaders to argue why shareholders should vote “no” on the Skydance–Paramount proposal. Meanwhile, the First Amendment Committee, led by Jane Fonda along with other groups, has announced plans for a protest rally outside Warner Bros.’ headquarters in New York.
Speakers at these rallies will include Jumaane Williams (New York Public Advocate), Brad Lander (former New York Comptroller), and Oscar-winning documentarian David Bornstein.
Michelle Mulroney, president of the Writers Guild of America West, said during the virtual conference that the merger’s consequences would be significant: “The merged company would become the largest employer of our members. Both companies are industry giants, and the loss of direct competition would harm writers and eliminate job opportunities across the industry.”
She added: “This merger fundamentally threatens the diversity of storytelling and weakens democracy and American culture by increasing the power of ‘gatekeepers’—those who decide which stories are told. Concentrated economic power can easily translate into political power that threatens free expression and creativity.”
Former CNN journalist Jim Acosta also commented: “A former colleague at CNN recently told me they are no longer worried about hitting an iceberg—they can now see it and are preparing for impact.” Acosta referred to comments by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who reportedly said, “The sooner David Ellison takes over CNN, the better.” The Ellison family is known to have close ties with Donald Trump.
David Ellison, CEO of Paramount, has pledged to increase film and television production. He has proposed a $6 billion cost-cutting target but emphasized that the reductions would be broad and not necessarily involve major layoffs. Ellison has described the merger as the creation of a modern, technology-driven media company that aims to grow the industry rather than shrink it.
The special shareholder meeting, scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, will be held virtually. The $110 billion deal, announced in late February, would mark a major step forward if approved by shareholders, but still requires regulatory approval from bodies including the U.S. Department of Justice, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. Participants in the virtual conference expressed hope that California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with other prosecutors, may take legal action to block the merger.
