Washington, May 22 (IANS) Democratic senators have raised national security and press freedom concerns over a proposed media merger that could allow sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to acquire major stakes in Paramount Global and its broadcast television assets, including CBS-owned stations and potentially CNN.
In a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, six senators led by Maria Cantwell and Ben Ray Lujan urged a “rigorous and thorough review” of Paramount Global’s request to authorise foreign investors to own between 49.5 per cent and 100 per cent of the equity in its FCC-licensed television stations.
The senators said the proposed financing structure is linked to the planned $111 billion merger involving Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery. The combined media giant would include CBS television stations, Paramount Pictures, CNN, HBO and other major media properties.
“The scale, concentration, and scope of this proposal raise serious questions,” the senators wrote. “Foreign governments hostile to a free and independent press could exert unprecedented influence over a media conglomerate vital to American journalism and culture.”
The lawmakers argued that the proposal far exceeds the 25 per cent foreign ownership cap set under Section 310 of the Communications Act for broadcasters. They said Congress imposed those restrictions to prevent “foreign dominance” and propaganda risks linked to foreign-owned media outlets.
The letter specifically named Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, accusing those governments of suppressing independent media in their own countries. It cited the 2026 Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, which ranked Saudi Arabia among the world’s worst countries for press freedom.
The senators also referred to a 2021 US intelligence assessment that concluded Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the operation against journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“If the filing is approved, Saudi, UAE, and Qatari sovereign investment funds would have significant influence over a number of the most significant and impactful news reporting and investigative journalism outlets in the United States, including CNN, CBS News, 60 Minutes, and 28 local Paramount-owned television stations,” the senators wrote.
The letter further raised alarm over reports that Tencent, a Chinese technology company identified by the Pentagon as linked to the Chinese military, could also take an equity stake in the merged entity.
“Allowing our most significant global adversary to partly own Paramount or a combined new entity that will own CNN and CBS News would risk our national security,” the senators said.
The lawmakers questioned Carr’s impartiality, citing his earlier comments that the FCC review would “get through pretty quickly” and describing the transaction as a “good deal”. They also demanded that the matter be reviewed by the full Commission rather than through staff-level approval behind closed doors.
Foreign ownership restrictions in US broadcasting have historically been tightly regulated because television and radio stations are considered strategic communication assets. The FCC has previously approved limited foreign investments in broadcasters, largely involving companies from allied nations, but the senators noted that the agency “has never approved a significant ownership stake of an American broadcaster by a sovereign wealth fund”.
–IANS
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