Free Republic

Netflix’s attempt to acquire Warner Bros. has set off alarms about market power and cultural reach. But the real issue isn’t this potential merger, which Paramount is challenging. It’s the extent to which the industry has consolidated so dramatically that a small circle of companies now exercises unprecedented control over cultural production and distribution. Nearly everything Americans watch is shaped by a handful of firms that not only dominate the market but broadly share the same progressive ideological assumptions. Netflix is not the outlier. Consolidation is increasingly the industry model in media and entertainment.

Key Points Warner Bros. Discovery said it is open to a sale as it expands its strategic review. The company had planned to split into two separate entities and is not abandoning those plans. WBD said it’s received “unsolicited interest” from multiple parties. =============================================================== Warner Bros. Discovery said Tuesday it’s expanding its strategic review of the business and is open to a sale, sending shares of the company 8% higher in premarket trading. Earlier this year, WBD announced plans to split into two separate entities, a streaming and studios business and a global networks business. It’s also been fielding takeout...