Skydance moves to slash DEI policies at Paramount in promise to FCC
Skydance Media announced that Paramount Global’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies will be eliminated onc the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approves their proposed $28 billion merger. In a letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, Skydance stated it currently has no DEI programs and will not implement any, though it remains committed to complying with federal anti-discrimination laws and reflecting diverse audiences in its storytelling. Paramount had already moved to scrap its DEI initiatives earlier, citing a 2023 Supreme Court ruling against race-based affirmative action and a directive from former President Trump. Alongside dropping DEI efforts, Skydance pledged to hire an ombudsperson to ensure unbiased journalism at CBS, a Paramount-owned broadcaster, as part of efforts to address claims of media bias. The companies’ concessions on DEI and journalistic standards appear aimed at securing FCC approval for their merger. The proclamation followed a recent $16 million settlement by Paramount with Trump over a lawsuit related to a 2023 interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Critics view these developments as part of broader negotiations tied to the merger and programming decisions, including the planned end of Stephen Colbert’s late-night show on CBS.
Skydance moves to slash DEI policies at Paramount in promise to FCC
Skydance Media indicated on Tuesday that Paramount Global’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies will dissolve once the Federal Communications Commission approves the proposed merger between the two entertainment companies.
Skydance, on behalf of Paramount, reaffirmed its commitment to complying with federal anti-discrimination laws in a letter addressed to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
“Skydance, for its part, does not have DEI programs in place today and will not establish such initiatives,” the letter reads. “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 February, Paramount announced it would eliminate its DEI practices in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order that directed federal agencies to investigate private companies over their DEI programs. In making its decision, the company’s leadership cited Trump’s order and the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard that deemed race-based affirmative action programs in college admissions unconstitutional.
Before the second Trump administration, conservative legal experts applied that Supreme Court ruling to private companies.
In the letter, Skydances states Paramount will no longer factor DEI in its hiring practices, employee compensation, and public messaging, among other areas.
The corporate change comes as Skydance and Paramount wait for the FCC to greenlight their $28 billion merger. The companies’ concessions on DEI will likely convince the agency to approve the deal.
Earlier this month, Paramount settled Trump’s lawsuit, alleging that last fall’s 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris, then his Democratic rival in the 2024 election, contained deceptive editing. CBS News, owned by Paramount, airs the weekly news program. The settlement amounted to $16 million, far below the $20 billion in damages that Trump initially sought.
Trump may be receiving more money after he claimed on Tuesday that Skydance would contribute $20 million in advertising, public service announcements, or “similar programming” as part of a side deal alongside the $16 million settlement. Skydance and Paramount have disputed the existence of such a side deal.
Critics claim the settlement was part of a deal that Paramount made with Trump to get its merger with Skydance approved. This is in light of CBS recently pulling the plug on Stephen Colbert’s late-night show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, on which the comedian often criticizes Trump. After a decadelong run, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is slated to end in May 2026.
Beyond slashing DEI practices, Skydance vowed to hire an ombudsperson who will ensure CBS publishes unbiased journalism as a solution to Trump’s claims that the broadcaster is biased. The ombudsman will report to the president of the consolidated company for at least two years.
“Skydance recognizes that, as a broadcast licensee, it will be charged with operating in the public interest, and the company intends to undertake a comprehensive review of CBS and to make any necessary changes to ensure compliance with that standard,” a separate letter states. “In all respects, Skydance will ensure that CBS’s reporting is fair, unbiased, and fact-based.”
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The promises come after Skydance CEO David Ellison met with Carr last week to reaffirm the company’s commitment to unbiased journalism and diverse viewpoints.
The letters were dated Tuesday but weren’t widely reported on until Wednesday.
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