Today in Focus: “Move Over Murdochs, Here Come the Ellisons”

Date: April 6, 2026
Host: Helen Pitt (The Guardian)
Guest: Margaret Sullivan (Guardian US Columnist, former Washington Post media columnist)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the rapid ascent of Larry and David Ellison as new power players in the American—and increasingly, the global—media landscape. The hosts and guest examine Larry Ellison’s journey from tech billionaire to media mogul, his son David’s parallel rise in entertainment and news, and the political consequences of their growing media empire, especially their relationships with former and current President Donald Trump. The conversation explores the implications of the Ellisons’ acquisition of Paramount (and CBS News), their pending takeover of Warner Bros Discovery (and CNN), and the worrying trend of the consolidation of media power in politically connected hands.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who Are the Ellisons?

• Larry Ellison: Oracle co-founder, ranked among the top ten wealthiest people globally. Known for his ambition and being unapologetically allied with Trump and right-wing politics.
  • “If you do everything everyone else does in business, you’re going to lose. The only way to get ahead… is to be different.” —Larry Ellison (01:52)
• David Ellison: Eldest son, former "Nepo Baby" actor turned successful film producer (“Top Gun: Maverick”) and, as of last year, CEO of Paramount after his father purchased it.
  • “We want to be in the truth business. We want to be in the trust business. And that’s not going to change.”—David Ellison (02:18)

2. Ellisons Enter Media—The Paramount Takeover

• Larry bought Paramount, bringing CBS News—with its storied past in US journalism—under Ellison control.
• Father and son broadly aim to reshape legacy media, drawing comparisons to the Murdoch family but with even more direct involvement.

3. Ellisons’ Politics & Relationship with Trump

• Larry Ellison has become remarkably close to Donald Trump, with regular meetings (like at Mar-a-Lago) and public joint announcements (such as the $500 billion "Stargate" AI initiative).
  • “We certainly couldn't do this without you. It would simply be impossible. AI holds incredible promise for all of us.” —Larry Ellison to Donald Trump (08:02)
• The closeness is new: though Larry previously donated to Trump, it’s since 2020 (and especially Trump’s second term) that he’s become a key political ally.
• The Ellison media empire, notably CBS News, is accused of aligning editorial stances to be more favorable to Trump.

4. The CBS News Shift: Independence Eroded?

• Margaret Sullivan points to a shift at CBS after the Ellisons’ purchase: settling a Trump-initiated lawsuit over a "60 Minutes" piece on Kamala Harris.
  • “It wasn’t so much that it was an incredibly huge amount of money, but rather that the case was settled and that then Trump was able to run around saying, see, they admitted they were wrong…” —Margaret Sullivan (12:55)
• Comedian Stephen Colbert, commenting on the $16 million settlement:
  • “Now, I believe this kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles. It’s a big fat bribe…”
    —Stephen Colbert (12:16)
• Following Colbert’s remarks, CBS declined to renew his contract, widely seen as retaliation.

Editorial Shifts After the Takeover:

• David Ellison brought on Bari Weiss (formerly of the New York Times and The Free Press) as Editor-in-Chief, moving CBS News further right.
  • "Bari Weiss… had absolutely no broadcast experience... If you were trying to move CBS News to the right... she would be a perfect choice." —Margaret Sullivan (16:08)
• Key talent, including Anderson Cooper, has left, citing loss of editorial independence.

5. Expansion: Eyeing Warner Bros Discovery and CNN

• The Ellisons are in advanced talks to buy Warner Bros Discovery, which includes CNN, HBO, and other media properties.
  • “If the $110 billion deal goes through, it will make the Ellisons... the most powerful media magnates on the planet.” (03:12)
• Trump has long criticized CNN and would favor its shift rightward under Ellison control.
• Netflix had originally been accepted by the Warner Bros Discovery Board, but a more generous offer from the Ellisons emerged and is likely to win.
• Regulatory hurdles at the federal level appear soft under the Trump administration, though some state-level opposition remains.

6. TikTok Stake: Reaching the Next Generation

• Larry Ellison now owns a 15% stake in TikTok (as of Jan 2026), broadening his influence to social media and youth news consumption.

7. Media Consolidation & Democracy Concerns

• The discussion culminates in concerns about increased consolidation of media power in hands allied with a dominant political figure.
  • “There’s a bigger situation going on here, which is that Donald Trump is trying to control the message. And how do you control the message? You control the media. He’s made huge strides in controlling the media in the U.S.” —Margaret Sullivan (29:15)
• Trump and his appointees have made regulatory threats; the Secretary for War, Pete Hegseth, publicly advocates for Ellison’s takeover of CNN to stop "negative coverage" of the administration's war.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Larry’s Business Philosophy:

  • “If you do everything everyone else does in business, you’re going to lose… to really get ahead is to be different.” —Larry Ellison (01:52)

• On CBS Lawsuit Settlement:

  • “It’s a big fat bribe, because…” —Stephen Colbert (12:16)

• On Bari Weiss’s Editorial Appointment:

  • “If you were trying to move CBS News to the right and make it more appealing to the Trump administration... she would be a perfect choice.” —Margaret Sullivan (16:08)

• On Trump’s Influence:

  • “He’s not shy about telling his supposedly impartial regulatory people what to do, and they seem willing to do it.” —Margaret Sullivan (23:50)

• On Media Control and Democracy:

  • “The first thing those leaders want to do is to diminish the independence of the press. And so I think we’ve seen that happening in a pretty deliberate way over time.” —Margaret Sullivan (29:40)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:13 | Elon Musk on Larry Ellison’s intellect | | 01:52 | Larry Ellison on business philosophy | | 02:18 | David Ellison on being in the ‘truth and trust business’ | | 03:12 | Paramount purchase, and CNN as the bigger prize | | 04:03 | Introduction of guest Margaret Sullivan; Ellison family background | | 07:29 | Larry and Trump’s relationship and Stargate initiative | | 09:40 | CBS News lawsuit, Ellisons' response, and editorial ramifications | | 12:16 | Stephen Colbert on the settlement (“big fat bribe”) | | 14:41 | How CBS News has changed under Ellison control; Bari Weiss appointment | | 17:28 | Concrete evidence of CBS News shifting right; talent departures | | 19:52 | Ellison’s acquisition of TikTok stake | | 21:16 | The Warner Bros Discovery/CNN deal; battle with Netflix | | 23:27 | CNN staff’s anxiety about coming changes | | 24:52 | Likelihood of CNN being “CBS-ed” | | 28:07 | The global significance and potential effects if Ellison takes CNN | | 29:40 | Broader implications for democracy and press independence | | 31:14 | U.S. defense secretary and FCC supporting pro-Trump coverage and the Ellisons’ media ambitions | | 32:57 | What motivates the Ellisons—power, money, and unimpeded corporate growth |

Final Thoughts and Implications

The episode paints a detailed, worrying portrait of how immense wealth, media consolidation, and proximity to political power are reshaping the American media landscape. The Ellisons' trajectory—mirroring, but also surpassing, the Murdoch model—threatens journalistic independence at legacy organizations like CBS News and potentially CNN. Their close, mutually advantageous relationship with Donald Trump raises concerns not just for American media diversity but for the press’s basic ability to hold power to account, especially as “reality-based” journalism gives way to editorial manipulation and consolidation in the hands of a politically-aligned few.

For more, read Margaret Sullivan’s coverage at theguardian.com.
[Summary compiled by Podcast Summarizer AI, maintaining original tone and content fidelity.]