Nithya Raman Splits From Mayor Karen Bass on Paramount-Warner Merger: ‘Should Be Decided in Court’

Nithya Raman, a city councilmember and mayoral candidate in Los Angeles, has condemned the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. Raman, a vocal supporter of entertainment workers' rights, argues that the deal would result in job losses and economic harm to the city. She backs Attorney General Rob Bonta's lawsuit against the merger, which threatens to cost an estimated 4,500 film and television jobs and over 10,000 jobs across the region.

Raman also warned that Paramount's threat to relocate its headquarters out of California unless the lawsuit is dropped is a tactic to pressure the state into preventing the merger. Mayor Karen Bass, however, has called for a settlement that would keep Paramount in the city and boost local production. Bass's stance was criticized by the Writers Guild of America, which is also opposing the merger.