It's happened. It's over the line. What did the parties have to do to get us there, Chris.Well, good goodbye to all those diversity equity inclusion programs. Paramount, like a lot of companies, was was trying to get more people of color, more diverse people on screen behind the scenes. All of that effort is gone.Another big change is in the NEWSROOM at CBS. There's going to be a ombudsman who's going to handle claims of media bias. This is a company that just this month settled a $16 million lawsuit with P ...

Group 1 - Paramount Global is a major media and entertainment conglomerate with assets including Paramount Pictures, CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount+, and Pluto TV [1] - The company has agreed to merge with Skydance Media in a two-step deal after a prolonged battle [1] Group 2 - The merger is expected to help build a consistent, low-risk passive income portfolio for investors [1] - The investment strategy emphasizes risk assessment over speculative growth, aligning with contrarian and value-driven principles [1]

Group 1 - The article discusses the risks associated with high-yield investments, particularly those yielding over 9%, which often lead to dividend cuts and declining prices [1] - The focus is on baby bonds, which are preferred for their ease of trading and ability to generate strong yields with less volatility compared to regular bonds [2] - PennyMac Mortgage Trust (PMT) has announced a new baby bond, PMTW, which has a 9% coupon rate, similar to PMTV, with minor differences in ex-dividend dates and pricing [3][4] Group 2 - PMTW has seen high trading volume since its recent launch, with a goal of issuing $100 million, potentially increasing to $115 million with over-allotment [6] - The issuance of around 4 million shares is expected, with the anticipation of sellers closing positions before the weekend [7] - The yield to maturity for PMTW is approximately 9.49%, with a maturity date about five years out, providing a reasonable income stream [12] Group 3 - PMTW shares are currently within the target price range, with a calculated yield to maturity of 9.35% at a price of $25.05 [13] - The article emphasizes the importance of not using market orders due to potential price jumps and the strategy of placing bids instead [8][11] - The company plans to actively trade this position based on yield changes and the spread between these bonds and similar duration Treasuries [12]

Core Points - Paramount Global is laying off 3.5% of its US workforce as part of ongoing cost-cutting measures due to declining cable TV subscribers [1] - The company previously reduced its workforce by 15% last year as part of a $500 million cost-cutting plan [1] - Paramount ended 2024 with 18,600 employees worldwide [1] Company Strategy - Co-CEOs stated that the layoffs are necessary to streamline the organization and prioritize the streaming business amid industry-wide declines [2] - The executives emphasized the need to address the current operating environment to position Paramount for future success [2] Workforce Impact - The layoffs will primarily affect the US workforce, but there is potential for future cuts to the international workforce [3] Merger and Legal Issues - Paramount is awaiting regulatory approval for its $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, which is currently in limbo due to ongoing legal issues [3] - The company is involved in mediation talks regarding President Trump's $20 billion lawsuit related to CBS News' "60 Minutes" program [5][6] - The Federal Communications Commission is investigating the lawsuit, which could impact the merger approval process [5]