Jon Stewart blasts Shari Redstone for trying to – Business News
Jon Stewart is publicly torching CBS father or mother company Paramount Global and its controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, accusing them of capitulating to President Donald Trump’s political strain so as to advance an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.
Stewart, star of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, which is a subsidiary of Paramount Global, stated the media climate has deteriorated to the purpose the place “all must pay tribute to the king,” likening latest company payouts and newsroom purges to mafia-style extortion.
“They just put money into the pot so that hopefully they don’t get [targeted],” Stewart instructed “The Bill Simmons Podcast” on Friday.
Jon Stewart is publicly torching CBS father or mother company Paramount Global and its controlling shareholder Shari Redstone. YouTube/Bill Simmons
“They’re paying — what does that remind you of, Michael? Protection money. Right? It’s protection money.”
His feedback come as Redstone, who stands to personally gain round $2 billion if the Skydance deal goes by means of, supported the ouster of CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon — a transfer sources instructed The Post alerts progress in mediation talks geared toward settling Trump’s $20 billion defamation lawsuit in opposition to Paramount.
The lawsuit alleges CBS deceptively edited a “60 Minutes” interview with then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris during the 2024 election cycle.
Stewart dismissed the lawsuit as a pretext to extract financial concessions.
“It certainly doesn’t rise to the level of libel, slander or whatever the f–k else they think they’re doing with a $20 billion lawsuit. It was a purely subjective editorial decision,” he stated.
Redstone is controlling shareholder at Paramount Global. Patrick McMullan by way of Getty Images
“Ultimately, what an awful precedent that these media companies have set.”
McMahon was reportedly pushed out after resisting efforts to settle with Trump, which insiders say contributed to the resignation of veteran “60 Minutes” producer Bill Owens.
In her resignation memo, McMahon wrote: “It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward.”
CBS CEO George Cheeks instructed workers she would stay for a number of weeks to help with the transition.
Stewart wasn’t refined in his implication that Redstone was behind the strikes, suggesting that prime CBS executives have been instructed to concern apologies as half of the merger strategy.
“Imagine paying $50 million for f–king nothing just to get somebody to approve a merger. It’s bribery,” he stated.
“They have to apologize. And these people looked at it and thought, ‘There’s no f–king way I’m going to apologize for doing my job the way it’s supposed to be done just because this one guy is offended by it.’”
President Trump filed a $20 billion defamation go well with in opposition to Paramount Global. AP
Sources instructed The Post that Skydance govt Jeff Shell had little confidence in McMahon’s potential to steer CBS News.
Her departure adopted a number of controversies, together with plummeting rankings, poor newsroom morale and backlash over perceived interference in editorial selections — resembling reprimanding anchor Tony Dokoupil for a powerful interview with creator Ta-Nehisi Coates on Israel-Hamas tensions.
“I mean, look what they’re doing now at ’60 Minutes’ and CBS News and everything else,” Stewart stated.
Stewart stated that Redstone, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (seen far proper with fiancée’s Lauren Sánchez) and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg (seen second from left alongside spouse Priscilla Chan) paid Trump “protection money.” Getty Images
“I don’t know if these institutions I thought would last my lifetime are going to survive this. It’s insane.”
The “Daily Show” host broadened his criticism to embody different media titans.
“ABC had to pay $15 million. [Amazon founder Jeff] Bezos had to pay $40 million for a documentary on Melania. [Meta CEO Mark] Zuckerberg had to pay,” Stewart stated, arguing these have been examples of firms bowing to Trump to keep away from legal threats.
He warned that Redstone’s strategy units a harmful precedent that Trump will exploit additional.
“Now he’ll go after Harvard and Comcast or whatever the hell else he does. Because a policy of appeasement always leads to more conquest. It’s tragic,” Stewart stated.
The Post has sought remark from Paramount Global, Meta, Bezos and ABC News.
