WGA Gets No Writer Layoffs At CBS News, $17.5M For Health Fund As Guild Confirms Settlement Of Lawsuit Against Paramount-WBD Merger
News Source
β’Mon, 21 Sep 2026 18:40:41 +0000
π° What Happened
The Writers Guild of America has settled its lawsuit against the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. The guild said it could not keep fighting alone once the state attorneys general settled.
Paramount agreed to ban writer layoffs at CBS News Broadcast for five years. It will also pay $17.5 million into the guild's health fund, plus its lawyers' fees.
The guild said it still believes the merger will harm writers and the industry. It promised to keep pushing for new rules on streaming.
π The Backstory
The guild sued on its own, alongside the states, arguing the merger was bad for competition and for workers. A report for Los Angeles County warned the deal could cut another 4,500 local jobs.
The guild now wants "fin-syn" style rules for streaming. Those old rules once stopped TV networks from owning the shows they aired.
California's attorney general said the two cases were resolved separately. He said the guild made its own decisions about its own case.
π― Why It Matters
Writers have lost work as studios merge and streaming budgets shrink. The settlement gives them some protection, but the bigger fight is far from over.
The Writers Guild of America has settled its lawsuit against the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. The guild said it could not keep fighting alone once the state attorneys general settled.
Paramount agreed to ban writer layoffs at CBS News Broadcast for five years. It will also pay $17.5 million into the guild's health fund, plus its lawyers' fees.
The guild said it still believes the merger will harm writers and the industry. It promised to keep pushing for new rules on streaming.
The guild sued on its own, alongside the states, arguing the merger was bad for competition and for workers. A report for Los Angeles County warned the deal could cut another 4,500 local jobs.
The guild now wants "fin-syn" style rules for streaming. Those old rules once stopped TV networks from owning the shows they aired.
California's attorney general said the two cases were resolved separately. He said the guild made its own decisions about its own case.
Writers have lost work as studios merge and streaming budgets shrink. The settlement gives them some protection, but the bigger fight is far from over.