Barger Urges Bonta, Paramount To Resume Warner Bros. Settlement Talks

LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger Thursday urged state Attorney General Rob Bonta and Paramount to resume settlement talks over a multistate antitrust lawsuit seeking to block the company's proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, citing concerns about entertainment jobs in the region.

"The breakdown in settlement discussions this week is disappointing," Barger said. "I urge Paramount and Attorney General Bonta to return to the table and work toward an expedited resolution of this case."

Barger said prolonged uncertainty surrounding the proposed merger could add to challenges facing the Los Angeles County film and television industry.

"We've lost far too many entertainment jobs and productions in recent years, so preserving this industry's presence in Los Angeles County must remain a priority," Barger said.

Her comments came two days after Bonta said no settlement talks were scheduled with Paramount. Bonta canceled a meeting with company representatives scheduled for Monday after details of confidential settlement discussions were leaked to the media, an action he called "unacceptable."

"If they are willing to clean things up ... and engage in a way that is sincere and in good faith, we will be where we always will be with any party in any case that we're involved in, which is happy to meet," Bonta said during a news conference Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Bonta said Monday that he believed Paramount was "playing games," accusing the company of leaking and misrepresenting details of settlement discussions held last week.

Paramount has denied being the source of the leaks.

"We share AG Bonta's concerns about the public discussions and misreporting that has surrounded this deal," according to the company. "As we have assured the Attorney General's office, Paramount has not been the source of the leaks of any of our confidential discussions with the AG's office."

The company said it remained willing to continue settlement discussions.

Bonta has called the proposed merger illegal and said it would result in higher prices, lower content quality and fewer movies and television shows.

Paramount CEO David Ellison said in an Aug. 14 statement that the merger "will create a stronger competitor with greater capacity to invest in premium content, support creative talent and workers, and deliver more high- quality entertainment to audiences."

The U.S. Department of Justice completed its review of the proposed transaction June 12 without seeking to block it, but Bonta and 11 other state attorneys general filed a federal antitrust lawsuit in July seeking to stop the deal.

Under an agreement reached in the case, Paramount and Warner Bros. cannot complete the transaction until June 1, 2027, or until after a court decision on the states' claims, whichever occurs first. A trial is scheduled for March 2027.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Xavier Becerra, the Democratic candidate for governor, are among Bonta's fellow Democrats who have called for the parties to negotiate a resolution.

City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, who is challenging Bass in the Nov. 3 mayoral election, has opposed a settlement that would allow the transaction to proceed under its current terms.

"This is a bad deal for entertainment workers and a bad deal for Los Angeles," Raman said. "That's why I support Attorney General Rob Bonta's antitrust lawsuit and stand with the workers fighting this merger."

The Writers Guild of America has also criticized calls for a settlement, saying the merger would lead to entertainment-industry job losses.

Barger said Thursday she would continue working to support the county's entertainment industry.

"At a time when our region is fighting to keep productions and jobs here, we need greater certainty — not months of additional uncertainty," Barger said. "I urge both parties to resume discussions and pursue a resolution."

City News Service