Skydance informs Trump’s FCC it will eliminate DEI at paramount, create CBS News ombudsman following merger

Skydance Media informed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) it would eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and install an ombudsman to crack down on perceived bias within CBS News once a long-planned merger with Paramount Global is approved. 

Skydance and Paramount, which is the parent company of CBS, have agreed to a multi-billion-dollar merger that would put the combined company under the control of current Skydance Media CEO David Ellison. But President Trump’s FCC needs to approve the deal, and Skydance sent a pair of letters to FCC chairman Brendan Carr on Tuesday promising changes that align with the president’s agenda. 

“I write to confirm the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that were in place at Paramount and to confirm our commitments moving forward,” Skydance general counsel Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon wrote. 

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“Skydance, for its part, does not have DEI programs in place today and will not establish such initiatives,” McKinnon continued. “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.”

The Skydance executive noted the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate DEI initiatives and detailed that Paramount already “eliminated or modified DEI programs across the company to ensure that they are consistent with the company’s commitment to equal opportunity and governing law” before summarizing the changes. 

Paramount “will not engage in any DEI-related disparate treatment in hiring decisions and no longer will set numerical goals related to the race, ethnicity sex, or gender of job applicants or employee hires in the United States” and will instead “focus on attracting talent from all geographies, backgrounds, and perspectives,” according to the letter. 

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Paramount will also use protected characteristics when determining promotions, compensation, leadership structure, job functions and public messages, and has been communicating the changes to employees, according to the letter. 

The second letter, also penned by McKinnon and addressed to Carr, focused on Skydance’s commitment to addressing media bias. 

“To promote transparency and increased accountability, Skydance also will commit, for a period of at least two years, to have in place an ombudsman who reports to the president of New Paramount, who will receive and evaluate any complaints of bias or other concerns involving CBS,” McKinnon wrote.

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“New Paramount’s executive leadership will carefully consider any such complaints in overseeing CBS’s news programming,” she continued. “Skydance believes that its acquisition will generate significant efficiencies and have a substantial impact on the future of broadcasting.” 

Earlier this month, Paramount Global and CBS agreed to settle Trump’s election interference lawsuit against the network. It was widely believed that Paramount Global controlling shareholder Shari Redstone wanted to settle the suit ahead of the planned merger, in hopes of preventing potential retribution by Trump’s FCC.