#cbs

For context, this all started when the Trump administration sued Paramount (CBS) for 20 billion dollars over their Kamala Harris’ 60 Minutes interview claiming it was edited with selected edits only released.

Donald Trump would have probably lost this lawsuit as it’s a very big reach on the grounds of merit. Interviews and TV programs are edited literally all the time, even Trump’s own interviews are edited constantly.

However, Paramount is currently in the process of acquiring a $8.6 billion dollar merger deal with Skydance Media and is afraid that by challenging Donald Trump with the 60 minutes lawsuit, he would deny their merger approval. Mergers would need to be approved by the Trump administration and the FCC. So they ended up settling in court for $16 million dollars.

Then, on a July episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert which also airs on CBS, Colbert then criticized Paramount (CBS) for settling in court with Donald Trump, then 3 days later Paramount announces that Colbert’s show will be cancelled after 2026 in part because they are desperately trying to get on Donald Trump’s good side to approve that merger with Skydance. Paramount CBS claimed “financial reasons” as to why they are cancelling Colbert.

In the meantime while this is all happening, Paramount CBS and the creators of South Park Trey Parker and Matt Stone are in back and forth discussions with Paramount to extend the streaming rights to South Park. They eventually reached a deal last week for $1.5 billion dollars.

After the contract was signed on the dotted line, South Park went scorched earth on Trump and Paramount. Mocking and humiliating them and even depicting Donald Trump with Satan which has the White House absolutely furious. No word on how this will impact the Paramount and Skydance merger and if Trump will threaten Paramount again.

Freedom of speech? Free press?