Paramount CEO To Skip Senate Hearing On Warner Bros. Merger Due To Funeral, Company SaysParamount CEO and Chairman David Ellison will not be attending Wednesday’s Congressional “spotlight hearing” about the proposed merger of Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery due to a family funeral, a company official said.In a letter declining Sen. Cory Booker’s invite to attend, Paramount’s senior vice president and head of U.S. public policy and government affairs called the controversial merger “quite straight forward” and “procompetitive.”This defense follows concerns raised across the entertainment industry that the merger would stifle competition, reduce job opportunities and increase costs.The merger “is all about increasing the amount of content released in theaters and streaming platforms,” Ted Lehman, Paramount’s senior vice president, said in his letter to Booker on Tuesday. “This increase in content will create competition and greater demand for creative talent.”Booker had invited Ellison to speak before the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, saying it would give him an opportunity to directly advocate for the merger and address concerns that have been raised within the entertainment industry.“If the merger is as beneficial as Paramount claims,” wrote Booker, “this forum offers the ideal venue to make that case on the record, under public scrutiny, and in the presence of the very communities your company says it intends to serve.” Paramount’s head of public policy responds to Sen. Booker. He says David Ellison will be unable to attend the hearing bc he will be at a funeral due to a death in the family. Says proposed deal is “quite straight forward.” https://t.co/pJfEV4Gyxb pic.twitter.com/h91Z5e83mk— Lauren Hirsch (@LaurenSHirsch) April 15, 2026See All UpdatesClose