Nevertheless, the two parties are still significantly apart, according to the outlet, as Trump’s legal representatives are reportedly seeking more than $25 million along with a formal apology from CBS News.
The report further indicated that Trump has threatened to file an additional lawsuit regarding what he alleges to be biased news coverage by the network.
In the upcoming weeks, Paramount is set to nominate three new directors to its board, raising the total number to seven, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. One current board member is anticipated to resign as the company aims to maintain a fully staffed board in case the deal falls through.
Both Paramount and the White House have refrained from providing immediate comments, as reported by Reuters.
In October, Trump initiated a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS, alleging that the network had deceptively edited an interview with then–Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris to “tip the scales in favor of the Democratic Party” during the election. In a revised complaint filed in February, Trump raised his demand for damages to $20 billion.
Meanwhile, CBS is facing a significant downturn amid the ongoing Trump lawsuit saga.
For instance, two weeks ago, Wendy McMahon, the CEO and president of CBS News, unexpectedly announced her resignation from the network in a harsh internal memo directed at staff.
In the memo, which was acquired by Mediaite, McMahon recognized that “the past few months have been challenging.”
“It’s become evident that the company and I do not share the same vision for the future,” she stated. “It’s time for me to depart and for this organization to progress under new leadership.”
The resignation comes after several months of internal strife associated with Paramount’s controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, and her attempts to sell the company. It has been reported that Redstone sought to sway CBS News coverage in order to placate the Trump administration and facilitate a sale, actions that are widely thought to have played a role in Owens’ resignation.
Following Owens’ departure, McMahon publicly expressed her support for him, which he claimed was due to a deterioration in editorial independence at the left-leaning news program. Her position put her in conflict with company executives who were advocating for increased control over its reporting.
The controversy escalated following President Donald Trump’s initiation of a $20 billion lawsuit against “60 Minutes” regarding its 2024 campaign interview with Kamala Harris, claiming that the editing was misleading. Reports suggest that Redstone is advocating for a settlement.
Last autumn, CBS faced scrutiny due to the significantly misleading interview conducted by Bill Whitaker.
A complaint was lodged by the Center for American Rights (CAR) against WCBS, a subsidiary of CBS New York, for broadcasting two distinct versions of the vice president’s response to a question concerning whether Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “listening” to the administration, as reported by The Daily Caller.
In a preview clip of her response shared prior to the airing of the interview, the vice president stated, “Well, Bill, the efforts we have undertaken have led to several actions in that region by Israel, which were significantly influenced by, or resulted from, various factors including our advocacy for the necessary changes in the region.”
However, in the segment that was broadcast, she remarked: “We are not going to cease our efforts to ensure that the United States is unequivocal about our position regarding the necessity for this war to conclude.”
FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington noted that the commission frequently encounters trivial complaints, yet he acknowledged that this particular complaint holds validity due to the substantial differences between the two versions.
