Joe Flint

The proposed $81 billion merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery hit its first significant speed bump when a federal judge in California granted a temporary restraining order that prohibits the companies from closing the deal.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said that ABC is running a “campaign of misinformation” about the regulatory agency’s inquiry into the network’s daytime talk show “The View.” Disney’s ABC recently launched a campaign in opposition to the FCC’s investigation into whether “The View” should be subject to its “equal time” rules, which requir

ABC is taking its fight with the government to its own airwaves. The Disney-owned broadcast network launched an on-air campaign urging viewers to weigh in against the Federal Communications Commission’s early review of its broadcast licenses and a separate investigation of its daily talk show “The View.” The FCC has said the license review is tied to an investigation into Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, while its probe into “The View” centers on whether the show violated so-called equal-time rules for politicians.

Sinclair said it built a roughly 8 percent stake in E.W. Scripps and is vying to acquire the local TV broadcaster. The two companies held constructive talks about a potential deal in recent months but have yet to strike an agreement, Sinclair said. Sinclair’s stake was revealed in a regulatory filing. Sinclair bought up the stake to add pressure on Scripps to strike a deal.

U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett blocked Discovery, Fox, and Disney's new sports streaming service, Venu, from launching, a major blow to the effort. Judge Garnett that the new offering would “substantially lessen competition and restrain trade.” Fubo, a sports-centric streaming service, sued the three companies earlier this year after they announced the joint venture.

Gerald M. “Jerry” Levin, a television executive who rose to the top of Time Warner and orchestrated its ill-fated merger with America Online, which defined his legacy, died at the age of 84 in Long Beach (CA). Levin played a key role in the creation of HBO, helped spearhead the merger of Time Inc. and Warner Media, and led the subsequent acquisition of Ted Turner’s media holdings—including CNN—to create the largest news and entertainment company in the world.

ESPN, Fox, and Warner are teaming up to create a supersize sports-streaming service that will offer content from all major leagues, a deal that will reshape the sports and media landscape. The as-yet-unnamed service will be offered directly to consumers, who would be able to stream a host of channels that are heavy in live sports, including ESPN, TNT, Fox, FS1 and ABC, the companies said in a statement. Each of the companies will have one-third ownership of the new service, which is expected to launch in the fall.

The labor agreement that writers struck with studios and streaming platforms will likely accelerate the end to “peak TV," a decade that included an explosion of programming for viewers and job opportunities for talent in Hollywood. Streamers will have to find a way to pay increased talent costs—from the writers’ settlement, along with an earlier deal with directors and whatever is finalized with actors—without adding to their overall production costs. That will likely mean that companies will make fewer new shows and cancel even more that are on the bubble.

The four major broadcast networks have filed a suit in federal court to shut down Locast, a nonprofit streaming service funded in part by AT&T and founded by a Dish Network lobbyist that offers their feeds to subscribers for no charge. CBS, Disney's ABC, Comcast’s NBCUniversal, and Fox argue that Locast is retransmitting the signals of their local TV stations without permission, in violation of copyright law.

Expect to hear official announcement on May 3 of Sinclair Broadcast Group's deal to acquire 21 regional sports networks from Walt Disney for $10 billion. The price tag for the regional sports networks is less than some industry observers initially anticipated.