Skydance Media CEO David Ellison met with FCC Chair Brendan Carr, joined by Carr’s staff Greg Watson and Ben Arden, to seek approval for the $28 billion Paramount Global acquisition.
In a letter to the FCC, Ellison emphasized the public interest benefits, stating that Skydance’s leadership would ensure Paramount’s long-term growth in a challenging U.S. media landscape. He pledged that CBS’s editorial decisions would reflect diverse American perspectives and uphold unbiased journalism.
The deal faced scrutiny after President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against CBS over a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, settled for $16 million, which led to the departure of executive producer Bill Owens and CBS CEO Wendy McMahon. Ellison also addressed concerns about Tencent, a Chinese company with a minority stake in Skydance, assuring the FCC that Tencent’s non-voting, passive interest (under 5%) would have no influence over the new entity, alleviating national security concerns.
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| Brendan Carr |
“We discussed Skydance’s commitment to unbiased journalism and its embrace of diverse viewpoints, principles that will ensure CBS’s editorial decision-making reflects the varied ideological perspectives of American viewers,” Skydance attorney Matthew A. Brill said in the filing on Thursday.
Ellison was joined by Greg Watson, his chief of staff, and Ben Arden, special counsel in the Office of the Bureau Chief of the Media Bureau. The 42-year-old CEO said he and Redbird Capital Partners, the private equity firm partnering with Skydance on the deal, “represent fresh leadership” that has the “vision and experience” needed to guide Paramount in the years ahead.