Bribe? Surrender? Both? Unpacking the Trump-Paramount Settlement.
Bribe? Surrender? Both? Unpacking the Trump-Paramount Settlement.  
Podcast: The Town with Matthew Belloni
Published On: Wed Jul 02 2025
Description: Matt is joined by CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter to discuss Paramount reaching an agreement with President Donald Trump to settle his lawsuit with ‘60 Minutes’ for $16 million. They discuss the curious timing of the settlement amid the looming Paramount-Skydance merger, whether the FCC will approve this merger, the potential of a follow-up bribery investigation, how this will affect the Paramount and CBS brand, and the long-term political and journalistic implications of this agreement. For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Email us your thoughts! ⁠⁠⁠⁠thetown@spotify.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Brian Stelter Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices