The panel on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper" threw shade at the approved merger between Skydance Media and Paramount on Thursday.
The merger, which was announced last year, was approved by MAGA-aligned commissioners on the Federal Communications Commission. In a news release, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said he welcomed "Skydance’s commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network," which includes agreeing to get rid of any Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies and create more politically diverse programming.
While the terms of the deal seemed suspicious, CNN anchor Jake Tapper argued that the timing of the deal was even worse.
Last week, CBS announced that it was cancelling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." Some speculated that it was because host Stephen Colbert criticized Paramount's $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump.
Trump has also called for Colbert's show to be taken off the air.
"Look, late-night does have its financial problems, but the timing of it...announcing it right now, literally days before this merger was approved, looks fishy," Tapper said.
Bill Carter, a former media reporter at The New York Times, added that the deal "certainly looks bad."
"Paramount had to make this deal; it was going to be a huge disaster for them if Trump stood in the way," Carter said. "They had a huge penalty payment, so the timing of it makes it suspicious. And they probably don't care that the deal is suspicious because the deal is done."
