Ahead of its planned merger with Paramount Global, Skydance told the Federal Communications Commission that it is committed to “unbiased journalism.” In two separate FCC filings, the media company also said it would eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and “address concerns about media bias” by hiring an ombudsman who will review “complaints of bias” at CBS News.
Skydance general counsel Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon addressed the company’s commitment to “fair, unbiased, and fact-based” reporting in a letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a President Donald Trump appointee.
“Skydance believes that its acquisition of Paramount will generate significant efficiencies and have a substantial positive impact on the future of broadcasting,” McKinnon wrote.
As far as DEI initiatives, Skydance promises to fully eliminate any such programs at CBS.
“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 said in a letter.
In the recent FCC filings, the company wrote that upon acquiring Paramount Global, it would ensure “news and entertainment programming embodies a diversity of viewpoints across the political and ideological spectrum, consistent with the varying perspectives of the viewing audience.”
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Skydance CEO David Ellison previously told the FCC in a meeting that he was committed to hiring “talented team of executives focused on American storytelling,” according to a letter filed with the commission.
Paramount Global’s decision to settle with the Trump administration was seen by some as an indication of Trump’s growing threat to press freedom. CBS also faced backlash for cancelling Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” last week, which some have linked to Colbert’s frequent criticism of Trump.
