The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday approved the merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media

The FCC approved the transfer of CBS licenses to Skydance's ownership group, paving the way to the merger of Skydance and Paramount.

Skydance said this week it planned to add an ombudsman who would review “any complaints of bias” and end diversity, equity and inclusion programs targeted by the Trump administration.

The Federal Communications Commission has approved the $8 billion merger of Paramount Global and Skydance Media, claiming “significant changes,” are coming to the CBS owner.

Skydance Media has made additional promises to the FCC in an effort to get approval for its $8 billion merger with Paramount Global.

Skydance’s general counsel, Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon, noted that the FCC, in evaluating Comcast’s proposed acquisition of NBCUniversal in 2011, found that an ombudsman was a “mechanism effective in preventing editorial bias in the operation of the NBC broadcast network.”

As Skydance looks to close its $8 billion merger with Paramount, the David Ellison-led studio has sent new letters to the FCC committing to the appointment of an ombudsman and the elimination of the media giant's diversity,

Skydance, the entertainment company set to take over Paramount in an $8 billion merger, told federal officials this week that it will hire an ombudsman who will review “complaints of bias” at CBS News

Upon the deal’s closing, Skydance and its financial partners are set inject $1.5 billion in cash into Paramount. However, that’s intended to go toward reducing Paramount’s long-term debt ($14.16 billion as of Q1 of 2025) to help stabilize its balance sheet.