L.A. Mayor Karen Bass Throws Her Support Behind Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Settlement
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has changed her tone on the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.
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The mayor, who is running for reelection this year, previously opposed the $111 billion deal unless it avoided loss of jobs. But in a news conference on Thursday, Bass urged Paramount Skydance and California attorney general Rob Bonta to come to a quick settlement on the antitrust lawsuit from 12 state regulators that is currently challenging the transaction.
“While there are varying perspectives on the proposed transaction, today we are united around one clear message: It is time for all parties to come to the table. The continued uncertainty is not good for workers, not good for productions and not good for the future of this industry,“ Bass said in a press conference.
Bass added, “Too many productions are at a standstill, which means Angelenos are out of a job and they’re not getting paid. As mayor, I cannot stand by as the job security of thousands of hardworking union members is being put at risk. That is why we are calling on Paramount, Attorney General Rob Bonta and all relevant parties to come together, engage directly and in good faith and work urgently to find common ground and keep our vital industry in Los Angeles.”
The remarks arrived one day after a report from the L.A. Department of Economic Opportunity and CVL Economics estimated that thousands of corporate, creative and production jobs will be at risk if the merger goes through. The report also pegged potential lost waves at $1.26 billion and lost economic value at $2.78 billion.
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Her statements prompted a sharp rebuke from the Writers Guild of America West union, which is opposed to the merger and has filed its own lawsuit to stop it. “We are disappointed that Mayor Bass has chosen to join Paramount’s pressure campaign on public enforcers, to push through a merger that is being rightfully challenged as illegal and will lead to job losses in the entertainment industry,“ the union said in a statement on Thursday. “Her statement comes on the heels of a county report estimating thousands of jobs will be lost if the merger proceeds.“
The union continued, “Industry workers deserve a mayor who believes in upholding the law and protecting the working people of Los Angeles, not serving the interests of powerful corporations.”
Bass‘ remarks arrive as several major entertainment organizations have similarly called for a hasty settlement. Cinema United, the movie theater trade organization, once vociferously opposed to the merger, backed off on Tuesday and called for a settlement to avoid industry uncertainty. The previous week two unions, the Directors Guild of America and IATSE, also asked both sides of the antitrust lawsuit to come together and hash out a deal before the scheduled trial date of March 2027.
IATSE‘s political division in California previously endorsed Bass in her run for mayor, citing her frequent communication with the union and efforts to boost production in L.A.
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