
Trump claims new CBS owner will give him $20m worth of airtime over $16m settlement
The US president recently reached a $16m settlement with Paramount, the parent of CBS News, over what he claimed was misleading editing of a pre-election interview with the Democratic candidate for president, Kamala Harris.
While CBS initially called the lawsuit 'completely without merit', a view shared by many legal experts, its owner Paramount is in the midst of an $8bn sale to the Hollywood studio Skydance Media, which requires the approval of federal regulators.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed the settlement had been paid – and that he was expecting much more from the new owners of Paramount.
'Paramount/CBS/60 Minutes have today paid $16 Million Dollars in settlement, and we also anticipate receiving $20 Million Dollars more from the new Owners, in Advertising, PSAs [public service announcements], or similar Programming, for a total of over $36 Million Dollars,' he wrote.
CBS and Skydance did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump's claim that he has been offered millions of dollars' worth of programming is likely to exacerbate anger over the axing of The Late Show, which CBS announced on Thursday.
Days earlier Colbert, a high-profile critic of Trump, had branded Paramount's settlement with Trump 'a big fat bribe'. He is due to remain on air until May, and declared on Monday that 'the gloves are off'.
Skydance was founded in 2010 by David Ellison, son of the tech billionaire Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, and an ally of Trump.
The $16m settlement was already seen by critics as a further example of capitulation by media companies hoping to smooth the waters with the US president. ABC News, ultimately owned by Disney, also agreed to pay $15m to settle a defamation lawsuit over its coverage.
After Trump's latest claim regarding $20m worth of advertising and programing from Paramount, the Democrat senator Elizabeth Warren, said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter: 'This reeks of corruption.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Hollywood star under fire for 'sick' comments on Colbert cancellation
Sandra Oh's (pictured) strong words against CBS & Paramount raised eyebrows in the wake of their cancellation of The Late Show hosted by Stephen Colbert. The Killing Eve actress, 54, garnered controversy after making a number of strong comments on Tuesday's edition of the late night series on the network, with one prominent CBS commentator saying her sentiments were misguided. The Canadian-American star expressed her anger and frustration with Colbert's cancellation this month , after a 10-season run. 'Like probably everyone here and everyone who is so supportive outside wants to say that I am so sorry and saddened and properly outraged for the cancellation of late-night here,' the Emmy-winning actress said. Oh, a two-time Golden Globe winner, said that the decision made on the corporate level - which many say had political undertones - was a game-changer for standards in the U.S. amid President Donald Trump's second term. 'Not only for yourself and for this entire family who are here, but for what it means, of what it means where we are in our culture and what it means for free speech,' said the Sideways actress. Oh, who played Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC's Grey's Anatomy from 2005 until 2014, made strong wishes against the companies that were behind the move. 'So I just want to say, sorry, and also if I can have your hand,' she told the host, 'to CBS and Paramount - a plague on both of your houses.' Colbert said he was 'very grateful' as he wagged his finger, adding, 'I think they've been great partners.' Oh, who portrayed the role of Eve Polastri on the drama Killing Eve, garnered a number of strong responses via social media following the appearance - with some people saying she took things too far. Tony Dokoupil (pictured) of CBS Mornings said Oh had things pegged wrong in blaming Colbert's show ending on politics, amid a changing economic landscape in late night TV - and culture. 'The business is broken,' Dokoupil said. 'And what no one seems to acknowledge is that the politics also changed. 'The business changed and so did the politics, and it got way more one-sided than anything Johnny Carson was ever doing.' (Carson, who died in 2005, famously was one to steer clear of going too far left or right so as not to put off a chunk of his audience.) Dokoupil added, 'I think we should reflect on those changes as well - it's been a big shift culturally in that regard also.' Others applauded The Sympathizer star's strong support for the embattled Colbert, with one Instagram user declaring, 'I love a good Shakespearean insult.' Another user on the platform said: 'I know Stephen is really really sad mostly because he knows 200 people will also be out of work. He's a good man and he feels responsible. By the way, I love Sandra Oh!' A user responded of Oh: 'Technically she used their own platform against them, Colbert's show.' Said one X/Twitter user: 'sandra oh wishing a plague on cbs and paramount on steven colbert's show she's everything.' Another added, 'I'm screamingggg she's too funny.' The move to ax Colbert was a controversial one within some circles of Hollywood, as the late night host has received words of public support from the genre's elder statesman, David Letterman ; as well as former host of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart. Stewart lashed out amid news of the cancelation, linking it to the $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance Media, which needed to be OK'ed by the Federal Communications Commission under Trump's administration. 'The shows that you now seek to cancel, censor and control, a not insignificant portion of that $8 billion value came from those [expletive] shows,' Stewart said. Dokoupil said that while he understood 'the emotional views' Stewart expressed, they weren't square with good business tactics. 'I don't have an MBA but he's not right that the merger, the $8 billion, is based on reruns of a comedy show, no,' he said. 'People are buying the movies and the sitcoms and the sports. They're not based on reruns of [CBS Mornings] either, so I think it's wrong.'


Reuters
20 minutes ago
- Reuters
Morning Bid: Fizzy market week turns flat
LONDON, July 25 (Reuters) - What matters in U.S. and global markets today By Mike Dolan, opens new tab, Editor-At-Large, Finance and Markets A buoyant week for world markets driven by emerging U.S. trade deals with major economies has gone a bit flat into Friday, with the corporate earnings season throwing up a series of high profile disappointments. The interest rate backdrop also turned a shade darker, with the European Central Bank holding its 2% rate steady as expected but with some officials signalling that the bar was high for further easing. Federal Reserve rate cut expectations also continued to tick lower despite relentless political pressure, with futures markets now pricing in just 42 basis points of additional easing this year. * The S&P 500 and Nasdaq eked out marginal gains to new records on Thursday, with Alphabet leading the way after its earnings beat. But Tesla's troubles continued, as it dropped more than 8%. Meanwhile, IBM clocked an 8% earnings day drop, American Airlines fell 10% and Honeywell was off 6%. UnitedHealth lost 5% after a probe into its Medicare practises, and Intel lost 5% overnight on its update. Wall Street futures were flat ahead of Friday's bell. * The European earnings season was also pockmarked with some negative reactions to corporate updates, with shares in German sportswear maker Puma sliding 15% on Friday and French car parts maker Valeo down 9% as both cut full-year outlooks. European stock indexes were down about 0.5%. A rebound in British retail sales last month came in below forecasts too. * A packed diary next week includes the August 1 U.S. tariff deadline, Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan meetings, key U.S. labor market updates, megacap earnings and a heavy Treasury debt auction schedule. Treasury yields were steady to a bit higher on Friday and the dollar nudged up too. Market Minute * Investors cashed out of highly valued global stocks on Friday and the dollar headed for its biggest weekly drop in a month ahead of a crucial week for markets that includes Donald Trump's tariff deadline and key central bank meetings. * U.S. President Donald Trump's trade deal with Tokyo opens scope for the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates again this year, sources say, a prospect the central bank may start to telegraph by offering a less gloomy view on the economic outlook. * South Korea's Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan met U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Thursday and reaffirmed a commitment to reach a deal on tariffs by the August 1 deadline, South Korea's industry ministry said on Friday. * The optimism sweeping world stock markets following news of emerging and expected U.S. trade deals is undeniable and understandable. But, writes ROI markets columnist Jamie McGeever, it is also puzzling. * U.S. President Donald Trump sprang a double surprise on the copper market when he announced import tariffs of 50% effective next month. ROI metals columnist Andy Home notes that the market was betting on a different outcome. Weekend reads * GEN AI AND PRODUCTIVITY: The Generative AI boom shows encouraging signs of raising the productivity level, opens new tab of the wider economy, according to a Federal Reserve Board discussion paper. But the researchers conclude that GenAI's contribution to productivity growth will depend on the speed with which its benefits are obtained, and notes that historically it takes time for revolutionary technologies to be integrated into the economy. * SUBNATIONAL DEBTS: Debates about debt sustainability often only focus only on "sovereign" or central government balances and ignore a complex, growing role of subnational governments., opens new tab In a piece on CEPR's VoxEU site, economists Sean Dougherty, Acaua Brochado and Pietrangelo de Biase point out how subnational government accounts for nearly 40% of public investment and more than a quarter of public spending. They argue these entities face tighter borrowing conditions, increasing investment responsibilities and market structures that often fail to price risk accurately. Left unaddressed, these dynamics could undermine both macro stability and government priorities. * DIGITAL SOVEREIGNTY: Europe's systemic dependency on Big Tech's social-media, opens new tab platforms threatens the continent's digital sovereignty as policymakers argue there's little alternative. But, as developer Sebastian Vogelsang argues on Project Syndicate this week, this ignores the potential for building apps on open-source frameworks like the AT Protocol, the foundation for Bluesky. * 'SPY COCKROACHES'?: For Gundbert Scherf - the co-founder of Germany's Helsing, Europe's most valuable defence start-up - Russia's invasion of Ukraine changed everything. As Reuters' Supantha Mukherjee, Sarah Marsh and Christoph Steitz report, the Munich-based company more than doubled its valuation to $12 billion at a fundraising last month. Scherf - a former partner at McKinsey - says Europe may be on the cusp of a transformation in defence innovation akin to the Manhattan Project. * SYRIA'S ECONOMICS: A Reuters investigation found that Syria's new leadership is secretly restructuring an economy broken by corruption and years of sanctions against Assad's government, under the auspices of a group of men whose identities have until now been concealed under pseudonyms. Away from public scrutiny, the committee obtained assets worth more than $1.6 billion. That tally is based on accounts of people familiar with its deals to acquire business stakes and cash seizures, including at least $1.5 billion in assets taken from three businessmen and firms in a conglomerate once controlled by Assad's inner circle. Chart of the day With Fed policy under a microscope, attention switches to the labor market next week - culminating in the release of the national employment report on Friday. Economists polled by Reuters expect the economy added 102,000 non-farm payrolls this month - which would be the lowest monthly tally since February. However, the U.S. Labor Department on Thursday showed jobless claims last week fell to 217,000 - well below estimates - signaling continued resilience in the job market. Today's events to watch * U.S. June durable goods orders (8:30 AM EDT) * U.S. corporate earnings: Aon, HCA Healthcare, Charter Communications, Phillips 66, Centene * South Korea's Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol and Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington * U.S. President Donald Trump makes private visit to Scotland -- Want to receive the Morning Bid in your inbox every weekday morning? Sign up for the newsletter here. You can find ROI on the Reuters website, and you can follow us on LinkedIn Opinions expressed are those of the author. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, opens new tab, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.


BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
South Park: Creator Trey Parker makes joke apology to Trump over opening episode
South Park co-creator Trey Parker has made a short, joke apology to President Donald Trump for ridiculing him in the opening show of their 27th season. The episode, broadcast on Wednesday, depicted the US president naked in bed with recurring character Satan. Asked about the reaction during a panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego, Parker said, with a mock-serious face: "We're terribly sorry."The White House has said of the episode: "This show hasn't been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention." It added: "President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country's history - and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump's hot streak."Parker was taking part in a panel alongside co-creator Matt Stone, Beavis and Butt-Head creator Mike Judge, and actor Andy Samberg, who co-created animated show Digman! South Park, which has been running since 1997, takes an irreverent look at the lives of four schoolboys - Cartman, Kenny, Kyle and Stan - who live in the town of South Park, Colorado. The long-running satirical animated show is often topical, taking aim at figures in authority. The Guardian's Stuart Heritage called it "South Park's most furious episode ever", and noted the voiceover at the end of the show which said of the president: "His penis is teeny tiny, but his love for us is large."Parker told the panel discussion they had received a note from the show's producers about the episode prior to broadcast."They said, 'OK, but we're gonna blur the penis,' and I said, 'No you're not gonna blur the penis,'" he explained. The episode, shown on Paramount+, follows a merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media being recently approved by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC).The merger between the independent film studio and one of Hollywood's oldest and most storied companies was first announced in approval came just weeks after Paramount Global agreed to pay $16m (£13.5m) to settle a legal dispute with Mr Trump over an interview it broadcast on subsidiary CBS with former Vice-President Kamala also follows this week's announcement by Paramount-owned CBS that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end in May 2026 after 33 years on air. Colbert is known for being one of Mr Trump's staunchest critics on late-night TV. Jesus makes an appearance South Park tackled the legal dispute between Paramount and the president in its latest episode - just hours after its creators had signed a five-year deal with Paramount+ for 50 new episodes and streaming rights to previous seasons. The move comes after a months-long bidding war a between major streaming platforms, and new episodes will first be shown on Paramount's cable channel Comedy Central, before streaming on Paramount+.The Los Angeles Times and other outlets reported the deal was worth $1.5bn (£1.1bn).In the new episode, Mr Trump sues the town of South Park and then Jesus - another recurring character - appears, telling them to settle. "You guys saw what happened to CBS?... Do you really want to end up like Colbert?"Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall was a fan of the episode, writing: "Yes - South Park went there - and it's glorious."He added: "The episode - titled Sermon on the 'Mount - took a jab at Trump's obsession with using lawsuits to silence media and political opponents, ChatGPT, the injection of religion into America's public schools, government censorship, and corporations caving to pressure."Hollywood Reporter's Kevin Dolak called the episode "shocking", adding it was a "hilarious, and as expected, controversial premiere". "I don't know what next week's episode is going to be," Parker said to the panel later in the discussion."Even just three days ago, we were like, 'I don't know if people are going to like this'."In 2017, the Parker told The Los Angeles Times, the show had fallen into the "trap" of mocking the US president in its episodes every week."We're becoming: 'Tune in to see what we're going to say about Trump.' Matt [Stone, co-creator] and I hated it but we got stuck in it somehow," he said at the time that he and Stone want the show to return to its roots of "kids being kids and being ridiculous and outrageous".