Skydance Promises FCC It Will Eliminate DEI at Paramount, Appoint CBS News Ombudsman to Review ‘Complaints of Bias'
In letters addressed to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, Skydance's top lawyer said the company will eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at Paramount and to install an 'ombudsman' to review 'complaints of bias or other concerns' involving CBS.
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'On behalf of Skydance Media (Skydance), in connection with our pending applications seeking approval for the transfer of control of Paramount Global (Paramount), 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,' Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon, Skydance general counsel and co-president of business operations, wrote in one of the letters.
Kyoko McKinnon's letter continued, 'Skydance, for its part, does not have DEI programs in place today and will not establish such initiatives. 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.'
In a second letter pledging to maintain 'viewpoint diversity,' Kyoko McKinnon wrote, '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. New Paramount's executive leadership will carefully consider any such complaints in overseeing CBS's news programming. In evaluating Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal, the Commission found such a mechanism effective in preventing editorial bias in the operation of the NBC broadcast network.'
Jeff Shell, former head of NBCUniversal, is set to become president of Skydance Paramount Corp. David Ellison, CEO of Skydance, is to become the merged company's CEO and chairman.
Regarding DEI, Kyoko McKinnon wrote, 'Although Paramount must have a highly talented, dedicated, and creative workforce that understands the perspectives and experiences of its varied audiences, the Administration's recent Executive Orders, the Supreme Court's decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (SFFA), and federal mandates impact the company's approach to those objectives. As a result of a review of Paramount's DEI programs, which began after the SFFA decision, the company announced significant changes in February 2025 to its recruiting and hiring practices to align them with current equal employment opportunity requirements. We understand that Paramount also 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.'
With respect to hiring Practices, 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. Instead, the company will focus on attracting talent from all geographies, backgrounds, and perspectives,' the Skydance counsel's letter said.
The letters, both dated July 22, were posted publicly on the FCC website on Wednesday.
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