Skydance, the entertainment company poised to acquire Paramount in an $8 billion merger, told federal regulators this week it will eliminate all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across the media conglomerate and appoint an ombudsman at CBS News to review “complaints of bias.”
The ombudsman will serve for at least two years, according to a letter from Skydance general counsel Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee.
In two separate filings submitted Tuesday to the FCC and published Wednesday, Skydance pledged to ensure the “diversity of viewpoints” in news and entertainment programming, with CEO David Ellison affirming a commitment to “unbiased journalism” and “American storytelling.” Carr called the pledges “significant commitments,” saying the company was addressing issues where “big change” is needed.
President Trump says Skydance has also agreed to provide $20 million worth of advertisements and public service announcements as part of his lawsuit settlement with the network’s “60 Minutes” for its deceptively edited interview with Kamala Harris, on top of the $16 million he previously secured from Paramount for his future presidential library.
The FCC is separately investigating the network for possible “news distortion.” Internal fallout followed, with “60 Minutes” editor Bill Owens stepping down in April, citing a loss of journalistic independence, and CBS News chief Wendy McMahon resigning in May.
The FCC is also investigating DEI practices at Comcast and Disney. Trump signed an executive order in January targeting corporate DEI initiatives, prompting many major U.S. firms to begin dismantling such programs.
