1. United States
2. Ky.
3. Letter

I urge you to take a strong stand against the Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger and demand the fullest possible congressional scrutiny. This merger would concentrate extraordinary economic and informational power under one ownership group, bringing CBS News and CNN—as well as Paramount+, HBO Max, major film studios and numerous television networks—under the same corporate roof. That should concern Americans of every political viewpoint. A free society needs competition in both markets and journalism. I am especially concerned that the DOJ's rapid approval and the FCC's handling of this transaction deserve independent congressional investigation. Has regulatory independence been weakened by political pressure? The FCC recently approved substantial indirect Gulf-state investment in the proposed company through a staff-level decision rather than a full Commission vote. There are also legitimate concerns about the Ellison family's influence over news. Larry Ellison is a major pro-Israel donor, including more than $16 million to Friends of the IDF at one 2017 event, and has publicly expressed strong support for Israel. His family now stands to control an enormous portion of America's news and entertainment infrastructure. Congress must ensure that neither political pressure, billionaire ownership, foreign investment nor ideological commitments determine what Americans see and hear. Please investigate this merger, hold public hearings, demand transparency, and use every lawful authority available to prevent excessive media concentration and protect genuine editorial independence. Americans deserve diverse, competitive and independent sources of information—not an increasingly concentrated media system controlled by a handful of billionaires.