NoParamount Global has agreed to a $16 million (€13.6m) payout to settle Donald Trump’s lawsuit against CBS and 60 Minutes, regarding its election-time interview with Kamala Harrris.

Co-CEO George Cheeks defended the move at the company’s annual shareholder meeting, noting: “The company has agreed in principle to settle the lawsuit, and as reported, it does not include an apology […] companies often settle litigation to avoid the high and somewhat unpredictable costs, the risk of an adverse judgement that could result in significant financial as well as reputational damage and the disruption to business operations that prolonged legal battles can cause.”

Trump sued CBS News and its parent company, Paramount, for $20 billion over the editing of the interview in autumn 2024 with former Vice President Harris, Trump’s opponent in the presidential election.

Under the terms of the settlement, which were proposed by a mediator, Paramount’s $16 million total payout includes plaintiffs’ fees and costs with the rest being allocated to Trump’s future presidential library. It releases of all claims regarding any CBS reporting through the date of the settlement, including the Texas action and the threatened defamation action.

The company stressed that “no amount will be paid directly or indirectly to President Trump.”

Paramount did agree, however, that in the future, 60 Minutes will release transcripts of interviews with eligible US presidential candidates after they have aired subject to redactions as required for legal or national security concerns.

Paramount needed to resolve the dispute to get approval for its merger with Skydance. FCC chair Brendan Carr, a Trump loyalist, has tried somewhat to separate the two in public statements, but it’s widely believed that that a greenlight would be unlikely without a settlement first.

FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez issued the following statement after new of the settlement: “This moment marks a dangerous precedent for the First Amendment, and it should alarm anyone who values a free and independent press. Despite repeated attempts to deny the obvious, this Paramount Payout is a desperate move to appease the Administration and secure regulatory approval of a major transaction currently pending before the FCC. For months, it has been clear that this lawsuit was entirely meritless, just like the complaint now before the Commission. The transcript and video of the 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Harris show no evidence of wrongdoing, only the standard editorial judgments used across the news industry to ensure clarity and brevity. Had Paramount chosen to fight this in court, they would have prevailed on the facts and the law.”

“But instead of standing on principle, Paramount opted for a payout. That decision now casts a long shadow over the integrity of the transaction pending before the FCC. Given the extraordinary public interest in this deal, the novel legal questions raised by the lawsuit and its resolution, and the repeated calls from lawmakers for transparency, I once again urge the FCC to bring this matter before the full Commission for a vote. Approving this transaction behind closed doors and under the cover of bureaucratic process would be a shameful outcome that denies the American people the transparency and accountability they deserve, especially when press freedom is at stake,” she concluded.

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Categories: Articles, Policy, Regulation

Tags: CBS, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, paramount