The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the acquisition of Skydance by Paramount Global, along with its subsidiaries, including media holding CBS. Engadget reports.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said he welcomed "Skydance’s commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network" and highlighted the company's written commitment to "ensure diversity of perspectives in news and entertainment programming." Skydance also pledged not to produce DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) programming.
CBS is one of the oldest television networks in the United States, with a history spanning nearly a century. The channel has a wide network of local affiliates, an influential news service, and is a major player in the production of series and sports broadcasts. By acquiring CBS, Skydance gains access to a vast library of content, rights to popular shows, and NFL broadcasts, which is a strategic asset in competition with other media groups and streaming platforms.
Carr stressed that the national media has lost public trust, and the proposed steps would allow CBS to focus on "unbiased and fact-based coverage." The FCC's decision, he said, is also "to eliminate invidious forms of DEI discrimination."
However, FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez criticized the deal, saying she could not support it because of "troubling concessions" from Paramount. In early July, the company agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit by Donald Trump, who accused CBS of manipulating an interview with Kamala Harris in 2020. Experts believe that this decision was part of a strategy to ensure smooth approval of the merger.
Skydance plans to cut costs and revamp Paramount's streaming technology under new CEO David Ellison. Paramount+, which has seen billions invested, remains a loss-making service.
Gomez said the FCC's decision was "a dangerous interference in editorial policy and a threat to press freedom," adding that "the government has no right to use its power to exert ideological pressure or gain favorable coverage."