Rafael Henrique | Lightrocket | Getty Pictures
The pinnacle of leisure group Skydance — poised to take over media conglomerate Paramount International — advised federal officers he’s pursuing a concentrate on “American storytelling” whereas touting a brand new, “unbiased” editorial course for CBS Information.
David Ellison, Skydance’s CEO, met with Federal Communications Chairman Brendan Carr to hunt approval for his agency’s long-in-the-making merger with Paramount, in line with a letter from a Skydance lawyer included in a federal submitting. The transaction has roiled Paramount subsidiary CBS Information and its longtime crown jewel, “60 Minutes,” amid fights over its editorial independence. Ellison is the son of tech billionaire Larry Ellison, a significant supporter of President Donald Trump.
David Ellison and Skydance’s common counsel stated they expressed their dedication to embracing “numerous viewpoints” that may replicate “the various ideological views of American viewers,” in line with the submitting. Additionally they additionally addressed considerations about potential Chinese language affect, saying that China-based tech big Tencent, which holds a stake in Skydance, will personal solely a non-voting, passive curiosity in any new model of Paramount of lower than 5%.
Paramount, which additionally owns Comedy Central and its namesake film studio, amongst different main media entities, declined to remark.
Since Skydance introduced its intention to merge with Paramount in an $8 billion transaction a 12 months in the past, the deal has confronted a number of delays — first beneath the outgoing Biden administration, then beneath Trump. The president accused CBS Information’ marquee program, “60 Minutes,” of distorting an interview with Democratic opponent Kamala Harris throughout the 2024 election and subsequently filed a lawsuit. Whereas many authorized specialists seen the swimsuit as frivolous, media experiences stated Paramount boss Shari Redstone favored exploring a settlement with Trump as a approach to overcome additional regulatory hurdles. The settlement, for $16 million, was introduced earlier this month.The settlement, and the negotiations main as much as it, rankled a number of high-profile members of CBS. “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley stated in June that such an settlement could be “very damaging” to CBS and Paramount. In April, longtime “60 Minutes” editor Invoice Owens stepped down, citing this system’s lack of editorial independence. CBS Information boss Wendy McMahon give up a month later.
On Monday’s episode of “The Late Present,” host Stephen Colbert, a frequent Trump critic, blasted the settlement as a “massive fats bribe.”
On Thursday, CBS stated it will cancel the 32-year-old late evening franchise, efficient in Could, for monetary causes. Trump cheered the announcement Friday on Fact Social, his social media website, saying that he “completely loves” the choice.