Paramount Global and CBS News at Odds Over 60 Minutes Lawsuit
Paramount Global and CBS News are at loggerheads over the possibility of settling a $10 billion lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump against the news magazine “60 Minutes.” The suit alleges that the program attempted to mislead voters by airing two different edits of remarks made in an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election.
The lawsuit, which has been described as “shoddily constructed” by legal experts, is seen as a potential roadblock to Paramount’s planned acquisition of Skydance Media, a deal worth billions to Shari Redstone, the controlling owner of Paramount through her family’s National Amusements Inc. theater chain.
A court filing on Friday requested an extension for Trump’s lawyers to respond to CBS’s motion to dismiss the case, which could indicate that the two sides are engaged in settlement talks. However, many at CBS News believe that Paramount and Redstone may be willing to settle the suit to ensure that the Skydance deal proceeds without delay.
The suit has also prompted a complaint from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has requested the full, unedited transcript and camera feeds from the 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Harris. The FCC has also reinstated a complaint filed last year against New York’s WCBS, accusing the station of “intentional news distortion” related to the 60 Minutes interview.
Some at CBS News believe that the request has political motivations, while others are worried that the news division is being used as a bargaining chip in the broader deal. The FCC has been accused of having a “concerning pattern of implementing the will of the Administration on issues that go far beyond its core responsibilities.”
Two top news executives at CBS News, CBS News and Stations CEO Wendy McMahon and 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens, have reportedly expressed their opposition to settling the suit, with some speculating that a settlement could lead to intense blowback from CBS News’ most prominent anchors and personalities.
