Skydance May Hire ‘Bias’ Monitors At CBS News

Skydance executives are considering establishing an internal ombudsman at CBS News to address Trump administration concerns about bias and secure FCC approval for their merger with Paramount Global, Shari Redstone’s struggling media empire, according to  Charles Gasparino sources at The NY Post  On The Money column. 

The ombudsman would oversee news content to ensure neutrality, potentially satisfying FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who has stalled the $8 billion deal over perceived left-wing partisanship at CBS despite its claims of objectivity. Carr is exploring oversight remedies, and a source close to him says the ombudsman idea aligns with his thinking. A Skydance insider notes that Jeff Shell, slated to lead the merged company’s news division, is open to the concept.

The FCC, which regulates broadcast media, can block mergers if news content violates “public interest rules” against bias on public airwaves. CBS News, part of Paramount, has long faced conservative criticism for an alleged liberal tilt. Last month, Carr launched a bias probe into CBS following a complaint from the Center For American Rights (CAR) over a selectively edited “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign, further delaying the merger. Without a remedy, approval could slip past the first quarter of 2025, a timeline critical for Redstone, who stands to gain $1.8 billion to bolster her family’s dwindling wealth amid Paramount’s decline, and David Ellison, whose media ambitions—backed by his father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, a Trump ally—rely on merging with Paramount’s assets.

The “60 Minutes” controversy stems from a Harris interview aired on October 7, where her typically convoluted responses appeared polished, but a promo revealed a less coherent version, prompting CAR’s FCC complaint. CBS cited time constraints for the edits, but Carr and Trump—whose $20 billion lawsuit against CBS alleges election interference—remain unconvinced. While Trump’s case (and a recent $15 million ABC settlement) looms, Carr’s inquiry is the merger’s primary hurdle. Recent FCC talks with CAR floated remedies like relocating operations from liberal hubs or diversifying staff, but no settlement discussions have gained traction. Neither FCC nor Skydance commented.