Paramount Global will be “a melting ice cube” if its pending $8 billion merger with Skydance Media doesn’t close, former FCC commissioner Rob McDowell cautioned Thursday.

Asked about the state of the FCC’s review of the deal during an appearance at Gabelli Funds’ 17 th Annual Media & Sports Symposium in New York, McDowell said even a depleted commission could still approve the transaction. The regulatory body is about to go down to just two members, one Republican and one Democrat, raising questions about its capabilities.

“Paramount can get approved at 1-1 because it could be a bureau action,” said McDowell, now a partner at Cooley LLP. “The conventional thinking, which is inaccurate, is that you need commission votes for high-profile mergers. Only if there’s something ‘new or no

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