Our Fight Against March Merger Madness

March was a lion of a month for Free Press as the struggle for a more democratic and just media system unfolded on multiple fronts.

It started with news that Trump’s favorite media billionaires could be expanding their empires, following the president’s expressed preference for Paramount Skydance’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery and his FCC’s questionable approval of Nexstar’s acquisition of Tegna. 

To get these deals done, the owners and executives of both media giants bent over backward to please the president. So much for an independent press: Both Paramount and Nexstar were far too willing to make editorial concessions to Trump and his minions in order official approval of their mergers.

Free Press closed out the month by refusing to let the month’s media-merger madness stand. In the final week alone, we were active across the country and throughout Washington, D.C.

On the Hill

On Thursday, March 26, Free Press Action’s Matt Wood testified before the House Commerce Committee on a hearing about the 30-year anniversary of the Telecommunications Act — and what policy reforms we need to live up to its ideals and fix its flaws.

He singled out FCC Chairman Brendan Carr for failing to uphold the law and ignoring Congress by trying to push through the unlawful Nexstar-Tegna merger, which Free Press went to court to block earlier in the week.

“This FCC chairman ignores facts, laws, even the Constitution, when he pleases – so long as it pleases this president,” Wood told Congress. “He attacks free speech and freedom of the press. He threatens broadcasters for coverage he doesn’t like.

The prospect of local TV news monopolies like Nexstar complying with government demands is dire. “It’s frightening for any democracy that values debate and dissent,” Wood said.

At the FCC

That same day, Free Press launched a mobile billboard that toured Capitol Hill and parked outside FCC headquarters to slam “Censorship Czar” Brendan Carr for his corrupt behavior.

Amid all this activity, we received some good news about the pending mergers we’re fighting: A California court issued a restraining order blocking Nexstar and Tegna from merging until it can review DirecTV’s separate lawsuit. The deal is also being challenged by eight state attorneys general. 

Meanwhile, Paramount Skydance’s attempted takeover of Warner Bros (including HBO and CNN) is facing new headwinds: Regulators in Canada and the European Union have reportedly joined California in their own probes into the deal. The U.S. Department of Justice also sent subpoenas in its antitrust investigation of the deal. Given the Trump regime’s corruption in other merger processes, Free Press will track and shine a light on any further shakedowns.

All this friction — a new attention on the deal from political leaders, Hollywood artists and people who don’t want to see CNN become another Trump mouthpiece — isn’t just good for stopping this merger: It signals to other media executives that they can’t push through a merger without a fight.

At the Kennedy Center

On March 27, Free Press Co-CEO Jessica J. González joined Jane Fonda, Joan Baez and other legendary artists and activists outside the Kennedy Center for the Committee for the First Amendment’s rally for free speech and against media consolidation.

González delivered rousing remarks alongside others, including Sam Waterston, Billy Porter, Rupi Kaur, Jim Acosta, Joy Reid, Maggie Rogers and Griffin Dunne.

“The right to speak, create, assemble and protest, without government interference and intimidation, is fundamental. And it’s under attack,” González said. “The Trump regime has sought to quash dissent and demonize the vulnerable. To consolidate the media into the hands of friendly oligarchs. These are moves right out of the authoritarian playbook. To the leaders of companies that have capitulated to Trump: We see you and history will not forget.”

White House bullies want to scare us into silence. And like any middle-school bully, Trump won’t stop unless we stand our ground.