Core Viewpoint - Donald Trump opposes any sale of Warner Bros. Discovery that allows the company to retain ownership of CNN, criticizing the current management of CNN as corrupt or incompetent [1][2][4]. Group 1: Sale of Warner Bros. Discovery - Trump stated that there are "some good companies bidding" for Warner Bros. Discovery, emphasizing the need for CNN to be sold separately from the company [1]. - Under Netflix's deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN and other cable networks would be spun off into a separate entity, while Netflix would acquire the film and TV studio, HBO, and HBO Max [2]. Group 2: Paramount's Bid - Paramount has made a hostile bid for all of Warner Bros. Discovery, including CNN, which has caused concern within the cable news network [3]. - Paramount CEO David Ellison has indicated to Trump administration officials that he would implement significant changes to CNN if the bid is successful [3]. Group 3: Trump's Influence and Historical Context - Trump has a history of targeting CNN, expressing a desire to be involved in government decisions regarding the approval of any sale, which challenges the traditional separation between the presidency and regulatory reviews [4]. - During Trump's first term, he objected to AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner due to CNN's inclusion, leading to a legal battle that ultimately allowed the merger to proceed despite initial objections [5].

Group 1 - Paramount Sky Dance is preparing to make a bid to acquire Warner Brothers Discovery following its recent merger with Paramount [1] - There were concerns that if Paramount did not act quickly, Warner Brothers Discovery might sell a 20% stake in its studio streaming operation, attracting additional bidders like Apple and Amazon [2][3] - Comcast is identified as a natural bidder for Warner Brothers Discovery, indicating potential competition in the bidding process [3] Group 2 - If Paramount successfully acquires Warner Brothers Discovery, it would position itself as the second-largest player in the global streaming landscape, closely following Amazon Prime, while still trailing behind Netflix's 300 million global subscribers [5] - The merger would significantly impact Disney Plus, potentially pushing it down to the third or fourth position when combining Hulu and ESPN subscribers [5] - The future of cable assets, such as CNN and TNT, remains uncertain, highlighting the complexities of integrating studio operations with cable assets [6] Group 3 - The news landscape is evolving, with significant interest in news organizations despite recent developments involving the Fox Murdoch family, which may lead to new deals in the news space if the Paramount-Warner deal proceeds [7][8]