Dozens of California-based representatives sent aletter Thursdayto the state’s attorney general urging him to conduct a “full and robust review” of the proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance Corporation.
“If you determine that this merger would have anticompetitive effects, use your best judgment to pursue the appropriate course of action,” the letter, signed by 34 members of Congress representing different districts in California, reads.
The effort was spearheaded by Rep. Laura Friedman — representing California’s 30th Congressional District — whose office confirmed it had previouslybeen in touch with Paramount about the merger.
“Hollywoodworkers are losing jobs and production is fleeing California. Anything that could make this worse, especially more consolidation, can’t go unexamined,” Friedman told The California Post. “That’s why a majority of the California members of Congress joined me in supporting Attorney General Bonta’s review of the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger.”
The letter’s concerns were reinforced by signatures from several high-profile Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Zoe Lofgren, Ted Lieu and Ro Khanna — some of the more nationally known Democratic lawmakers in Congress.
Paramount Skydance Corporation — the newly combined entity formed from Skydance Media and Paramount Global — has reportedly moved forward with a proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery,a blockbuster merger that would create one of the largest media conglomeratesin history.
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Shareholders of Warner Bros. reportedly approved the merger on April 23, 2026, and the transaction is now awaiting regulatory approval in the United States and Europe ahead of a targeted closing later this year.
Under the deal, David Ellison is expected to lead the combined company, bringing together entertainment giants including Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Studios, streaming platforms Max, Discovery+ and Paramount+, as well as more than two dozen cable channels and networks including CNN, CBS News and TBS.
The letter warned that California’s film industry is already suffering from falling production and major job losses, citing a 13.2% decline in filming in Los Angeles and more than 42,000 entertainment jobs lost in Los Angeles County between 2022 and 2024.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
