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A New Era In The Film Industry: Paramount And Skydance Merge

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 8, 2024

Paramount Global and Skydance Media have agreed to merge, opening a new chapter for one of Hollywood’s oldest studios, Reuters reported.

KEY FACTS

Shari Redstone, Paramount’s non-executive chairman, will sell the family’s controlling stake in the company in a complex deal that will end in a merger.
The deal marks the end of an era for Redstone, whose late father Sumner Redstone transformed the family’s chain of car dealerships into a media empire that includes Paramount Pictures, as well as the CBS network and cable networks Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and MTV.
The merger will combine Paramount, home of classics such as Chinatown, The Godfather and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, with a financing partner on several major recent films, including Top Gun: Maverick, Mission: Impossible – Fallout and Falling into Darkness.
The deal will elevate David Ellison, the 41-year-old scion of tech tycoons who founded Skydance, into Hollywood’s newest giant. He will inherit a media company that faces a host of challenges while managing an entertainment business upended by the video streaming revolution.

KEY STORY

Paramount has wiped nearly $17 billion off its value since the end of 2019 as its traditional TV business eroded faster than video streaming service Paramount+ could turn a profit.

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There was tension between the directors. CEO Bob Bakish was ousted in April after clashing with controlling shareholder Sherry Redstone over the Skydance deal. He was replaced by three executives who hold the CEO position as a group, proposing $500 million in layoffs, selling off certain assets and exploring a possible joint venture partner with Paramount+.

TANGENT

The deal between Paramount and Skydance is the culmination of months of negotiations that appeared to have reached an impasse when Redstone abruptly ended negotiations on June 11.

At the time, Skydance and its partners had agreed to acquire the Redstone family’s holding company National Amusements, which owned 77% of Paramount’s voting stock. However, the talks reached an impasse on other issues, including National Amusements’ demand that the deal be approved by a majority of non-Redstone shareholders, a condition Skydance believed impossible.

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Call for Reform: Cyprus Faces New Challenges with Emerging Tobacco Products

by News Editor

May 31, 2025

In the face of a burgeoning variety of tobacco products, existing smoking laws in Cyprus are struggling to keep pace, as highlighted by Christos Minas, the president of the Cyprus National Addictions Authority (AAEK). On World No-Tobacco Day, there was a push for legislative reforms to comprehensively cover all tobacco forms, including non-nicotine alternatives.

Addressing Rising Trends with Effective Policies

Minas emphasized the surge in popularity of e-cigarettes and flavored products, particularly among the youth. The proposed legal updates aim to enhance enforcement efficiency against these emerging trends.

In collaboration with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) framework, the AAEK has established the first set of national guidelines for smoking cessation in Cyprus, crafting prevention and treatment strategies based on robust scientific evidence.

Educating Youth and Public Awareness Initiatives

Efforts are underway to raise awareness, with informative materials distributed to secondary schools across Cyprus. A public event in Nicosia highlighted the state’s ongoing commitment, providing carbon monoxide testing and expert advice on new tobacco products.

Recent data from the Cyprus general population survey 2023 indicates that 38% of smokers have used e-cigarettes recently, and the smoking initiation age remains at 18.

A Glimpse into Youth Smoking Patterns

According to the latest European school survey, 14% of Cypriot students aged 15-16 reported smoking traditional cigarettes last month. Although this rate is declining, Cyprus still ranks high in Europe for e-cigarette and hookah use among students.

The concern is global, with WHO reports showing over 37 million children aged 13-15 engage in tobacco use, driven by aggressive marketing in loosely regulated environments.

The urgency for reform is clear: before these trends solidify, proactive measures are necessary to protect future generations from potentially hazardous habits.