How mega-mergers are reshaping media

CNN founder Ted Turner died last week, just as the future of the network hangs in the balance. After a competitive bidding war, Warner Bros Discovery, the parent company to CNN, is poised to be absorbed by Skydance Media – the same company that took over Paramount and its subsidiary, CBS, less than a year ago. 

If the $111 billion dollar merger moves forward as planned, it will be the biggest media deal of the decade and bring major film studios, streaming powerhouses, and two legacy news giants under the same roof. Though Skydance has pledged to release at least 30 movies in theaters annually and invest in both studios, the proposal has drawn fierce pushback from Hollywood stars. Many argue that consolidation will shrink job opportunities and leave movie buffs and TV lovers with fewer choices. 

Critics have also raised concerns about Skydance founder David Ellison. His father is the tech mogul Larry Ellison – one of the richest men in the world and an ally of President Donald Trump. And while David Ellison claims that politics have not played a role in the Paramount/CBS takeover, the last nine months have been marred by controversies over regulatory approval and questions about editorial independence in the newsroom. 

David Ellison isn’t the only dynastic heir looking to grow their media portfolio. Large parts of Vox Media might soon be acquired by James Murdoch, the youngest son of Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch. 

So, who are the billionaires redrawing the maps of our current media ecosystem? What does the future of media look like if some of the biggest names in entertainment and news fall under the same corporate umbrella?

Guests: 

• Michael Grynbaum, media correspondent for the New York Times who writes about the intersection of media, politics, and culture.
• Jennifer Holt, chair of the film and media studies department at UC Santa Barbara and the author of “Empires of Entertainment: media industries and the politics of deregulation: 1980 to 1996″