Overview

• Skydance, Paramount and National Amusements met with Commissioner Anna Gomez to emphasize the deal’s public interest benefits and respond to petitions from unions, affiliates and advocacy groups.
• The companies pledged to appoint a CBS News ombudsman reporting to the network president for at least two years to receive and evaluate any complaints of bias.
• They committed to eliminate all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at Paramount and to comply strictly with federal non-discrimination laws.
• They said the merger would preserve CBS’s network reach and its 28 owned-and-operated stations without reducing competition, noting Skydance holds no voting interest in broadcast outlets.
• Commissioner Gomez is urging the full FCC commission to vote on the transaction before the Oct. 6 closing deadline, after the review has been extended twice by 90 days.