Skydance has made fresh promises to the Federal Communications Commission as it looks to fast-track its merger with Paramount – including a pledge to scrap DEI policies at CBS News and appoint an ombudsman to root out media bias at the network.
The Hollywood studio behind blockbusters including “Mission: Impossible” said in letters to the FCC that it will conduct a “comprehensive review” of CBS after the merger goes through to ensure the network is operating in the public interest.
It will then put in place an ombudsman for at least two years that will report directly to the president of CBS News with “any complaints of bias or other concerns,” according to copies of the letters earlier reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Skydance – which, “for its part, does not have DEI programs in place today and will not establish such initiatives” – also vowed to eliminate diversity programs at CBS News.
The letters, which were sent Tuesday, came as President Trump said he expects to receive an additional $20 million from Skydance in advertising and public service announcements once it takes control of Paramount, confirming an exclusive report by The Post.
These public service ads will be tied to Trump-backed conservative causes, according to noti.group’s Charles Gasparino.
That’s on top of a $16 million settlement from CBS News over a lawsuit concerning a controversially-edited “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris.
Skydance did not immediately respond to requests seeking confirmation of this figure.
“The company is committed to ensuring that its storytelling reflects the many audiences and communities it serves in a manner that complies with non-discrimination requirements and other applicable laws,” Skydance’s general counsel wrote in the letter.
That change will affect CBS’ hiring, promotion, compensation and public messaging practices, as well as its supplier and vendor diversity goals. It will also scrap the office of global inclusion.
Skydance is currently seeking FCC approval for the transfer of CBS broadcast licenses, an integral part of the acquisition process, which has been in limbo for about a year.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and CBS News did not immediately respond to noti.group’s requests for comment.
There had been concerns that Trump’s lawsuit against CBS News over the “60 Minutes” scandal could stall the deal’s review.
In the letters, Skydance cited the Trump administration’s recent executive orders on DEI and the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling overturning affirmative action as its basis for eliminating diversity policies.
Earlier this year, after launching a probe into Comcast’s DEI policies, Carr warned that all media companies regulated by the FCC should erase such programs.
“Every single business that’s regulated by the FCC … I trust that they have now got the message that the time to end their invidious forms of DEI discrimination is now,” Carr told The Post at the time.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
