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Paramount Names Kenneth R. Weinstein CBS News Ombudsman Under FCC Merger Condition

The appointment fulfills an FCC merger condition, routing complaints through corporate leaders.

FILE - Hudson Institute President & CEO Ken Weinstein speaks during the Herman Kahn Award Gala, Oct. 30, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
Paramount Global and Skydance logos are seen in this illustration taken December 17, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Overview

  • Paramount said Weinstein will review complaints from viewers and employees and elevate cases he deems necessary to Paramount President Jeff Shell and TV Media chair George Cheeks, with potential referral to CBS News chief Tom Cibrowski for action.
  • The hire satisfies a requirement attached to the FCC’s 2-1 approval of Skydance’s roughly $8.4 billion merger with Paramount after regulators scrutinized CBS News.
  • Weinstein is the former president and CEO of the Hudson Institute, previously chaired the federal broadcasting board now known as the U.S. Agency for Global Media, and was nominated by President Trump in 2020 to be ambassador to Japan.
  • Media-ethics experts note the role departs from traditional public-facing ombudsmen, citing Weinstein’s limited newsroom experience and documented donations to Republican and Trump-aligned groups.
  • The move follows Paramount’s $16 million settlement of Trump’s lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview and recent CBS News policy changes requiring some interviews to air live or live-to-tape after editing concerns.