CBS' Redstone Expected To Settle Trump Lawsuit

Barring any unexpected developments, Shari Redstone is poised to announce that Paramount Global has reached a settlement with President Trump concerning a lawsuit filed against CBS News's "60 Minutes."

 This follows a pattern where media companies, including Disney and Meta, have opted for settlements to sidestep extended legal disputes with the White House or to avoid federal scrutiny in their operations. Paramount is expected to contribute tens of millions to the Trump Presidential Library. Although early reports suggest that the talks might not lead to an agreement, sources close to the matter indicate Shari Redstone has already decided.

Shari Redstone

According to legal experts, Trump's lawsuit against "60 Minutes" is one of his least substantiated. It revolves around CBS's "Face the Nation" using one segment of Kamala Harris's answer in a "60 Minutes" interview, a common practice in television news, while the full "60 Minutes" episode aired a different part of her response. 

Trump's legal team accused CBS of "deceptive doctoring," a charge the network strongly refuted. Many legal analysts have dismissed this lawsuit as "frivolous" and "ridiculous," emphasizing CBS's coverage under First Amendment rights.

For Shari Redstone, practical considerations seem to overshadow ethical ones. She's near to finalizing an $8 billion deal to sell Paramount to Skydance, which could be jeopardized or delayed by Trump's FCC. 

The new FCC Chairman, Brendan Carr, has expressed intentions to examine the "60 Minutes" controversy within the context of this merger review. He has requested unedited footage and a transcript of the Harris interview, which CBS News has agreed to provide by Friday afternoon.