Podcaster and CNN commentator Kara Swisher didn’t hold back her thoughts regarding Paramount’s recent settlement with California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
On Tuesday’s episode of her “Pivot” podcast, she exclaimed, “F–k these guys!” and expressed her intention to sever ties with CNN as soon as she can.
This outburst followed Bonta’s decision to abandon his lawsuit aimed at obstructing Paramount’s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN. In exchange, Paramount committed to releasing a minimum number of films each year, among other obligations.
Swisher remarked, “It’s only a few months, right?” as she considered Paramount CEO David Ellison’s upcoming tenure at CNN.
“I’m just — I just can’t. I just, I thought like I was trying to figure out some way to collaborate with them on licensing. But then I thought, f–k these guys! I don’t want to work for them. I just don’t,” she added.
She mentioned, “I have plenty to do with you, Scott Galloway,” addressing her co-host on the podcast.
In a playful response, Galloway said, “Kara, let me give you a little insight scoop here. I think there’s a decent likelihood that when you show up to whoever it is you show up to at CNN and say, I want out of my contract, they jump up and say, ‘Congratulations, no problem.’”
Back in June, Swisher had pledged to leave CNN if the merger went through, criticizing both David Ellison and his father, billionaire Larry Ellison, as “incompetent.” Larry Ellison has financial ties to the merger and is known for his close relationship with former President Trump.
Swisher’s comments came amid increasing apprehension at CNN regarding potential layoffs under the new ownership, as reported by The Post.
“Bloodbath coming, including at CNN,” a TV executive warned. “That’s the next big step — slashing and burning.”
There is also concern among staffers leaning left about Bari Weiss, the CBS News Editor-in-Chief, who has been making changes under Ellison’s directive to balance perspectives within the network. Her future role at CNN is still uncertain.
Swisher, recognized for her candid critiques of figures like Elon Musk, reiterated her disapproval of the Ellisons on Tuesday, stating, “I think they are terrible media owners.”
She did express some respect for the current executives at CNN, though.
On the other hand, Galloway criticized Bonta’s case alongside 11 other state AGs, dismissing it as “sheer regulatory theater.”
“Regulators started out saying this is Godzilla, it’s an existential threat to humanity and they settled by saying, we’ll make more movies about Godzilla,” he complained.
“This is total weak sauce. This is Rob Bonta deciding he wants to run for governor and giving in to populist bulls–t. I don’t like the concentration of media, but the bottom line is when you do the math, and you look at antitrust law, there was no legal leg to stand on here.”
