Paul Harvey’s Estate Sues Over Audio Clip Used In Paramount’s ‘Landman.’

The estate of iconic radio host Paul Harvey has filed a lawsuit against Paramount Global in federal court in New York, accusing the company of using a segment from Harvey’s famous program “The Rest of the Story” in the Paramount+ series “Landman” without permission.

According to the complaint, Paramount allegedly included an excerpt from a 2008 Harvey monologue about rising gas prices at the start of one episode. The estate contends the segment was edited in deceptive fashion to make Harvey appear supportive of the oil industry — despite the full monologue criticizing government fossil fuel policies and advocating for alternative energy sources.

Paramount has not yet issued a response to the allegations.

The audio clip is 90 seconds long. “In the world of audio licensing, 90 seconds is an eternity,” Jaime Wolf, a partner at Pelosi Wolf Spates and Paulynne’s lead attorney, says in a news release. “Paramount not only grabbed a long, copyrighted audio clip without our client’s permission, but they also twisted the intent of Mr. Harvey’s words by editing his original broadcast. Mr. Harvey might not have put it this way, but that takes a lot of chutzpah.”

Harvey, who died in 2009, was a mainstay in American broadcasting. “The Rest of the Story” aired from 1976 until 2008, gaining widespread popularity for its distinctive storytelling style.

“Landman,” created by “Yellowstone” co-creator Taylor Sheridan, is a drama series set in the West Texas oil fields and debuted last year.

The lawsuit centers on the show’s tenth episode, which opens with audio from Harvey’s “Gas Crisis” monologue.

The estate said its legal team tried to contact Paramount in March but received no reply. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for copyright infringement.

Wolf notes this isn’t the first time Harvey and his works have been unlawfully appropriated. For example, supporters of the Ron DeSantis (2022) and Donald Trump (2024) campaigns tried to deep-fake Harvey’s voice, making him appear to cheer them on from beyond the grave.

Cease-and-desist letters, however, resulted in such fakes being withdrawn. “But when our firm sent Paramount a letter offering a settlement, Paramount failed to respond despite numerous attempts to reach them. They left no choice but to sue,” Wolf said.