Democratic Senators Ask FCC to Block Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Until Foreign Ownership Review Is Complete

Three Democratic senators have asked the Federal Communications Commission to halt the closing of the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger while the agency completes a review of foreign ownership, according to a letter sent to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr on June 19, 2026.

In the letter, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sen. Adam Schiff of California, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts urged the FCC to use its authority to ensure the merger does not proceed before the foreign ownership inquiry is finished. The senators argued the FCC “has an obligation” in connection with the pending review, and asked the commission to stop closing actions during that period.

The request centers on timing, with the senators specifically seeking to prevent the merger from closing while the foreign ownership review is still underway. The senators’ filing is directed at the FCC and its leadership, with Carr named as the addressee and the commission positioned as the venue for the decision on whether the parties may finalize the transaction.

Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery are among the largest owners and distributors of film and television programming in the United States, and changes in their ownership structure can affect which companies control the production and distribution of entertainment content. As the merger process proceeds, the FCC’s review functions as a key regulatory step, particularly where ownership and market control are implicated.

A central point in the senators’ letter is that the FCC should not allow deal finalization to occur before the commission completes its examination of foreign ownership issues. The senators’ request implies that, absent FCC action, the transaction could move forward on a timeline that they say would undercut the purpose of the remaining regulatory work.

The FCC is now the focus of the procedural next step, as the commission decides whether and how to respond to the senators’ request. Under the approach described by the senators, the agency would need to determine whether it can impose conditions or otherwise limit closing activity pending completion of its foreign ownership review.