Regulatory Authority Endorses $8B Paramount-Skydance Union, Following Agreement to Halt Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
Under the leadership of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, appointed by President Donald Trump, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been taking a firm stance against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the media and entertainment industry.
In early 2025, the FCC launched an investigation into Comcast and NBCUniversal, citing "substantial evidence" that they continued to promote DEI efforts[1][2]. This marked the beginning of a series of actions by the FCC to eliminate DEI promotion within the industry.
One of the most significant developments came with the approval of the merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media. As part of the settlement for the merger, Skydance Media agreed to end its DEI efforts[3]. In addition, Skydance Media plans to hire a CBS News ombudsman to examine complaints of editorial bias for at least two years.
Paramount, under pressure from the FCC, announced it would rethink its approach to DEI and awaits FCC approval for its $8 billion merger with Skydance[4]. T-Mobile is the latest company to have dropped its DEI initiatives under pressure from the FCC[5].
FCC Chair Carr has welcomed Skydance's commitment to make changes at the CBS broadcast network, stating that he expects CBS News division's reporting to be fair, unbiased, and fact-based[6]. Skydance has also made commitments to ensure that the new company's programming will embody a diversity of viewpoints across the political and ideological spectrum.
Carr has threatened to block mergers and opened investigations into companies such as NPR, PBS, Disney, ABC, and now Comcast and NBCUniversal[5]. He has warned other companies, like DISH Network, that noncompliance with this approach could lead to investigation.
It is worth noting that the settlement involved a payment of $16 million for Trump's legal expenses and a donation to his future presidential library[7]. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will be going off the air in May 2026[8].
In conclusion, under Chairman Carr's leadership, the FCC has been using its regulatory powers to push media and entertainment companies to dismantle their DEI programs. This has resulted in several companies, including T-Mobile, Verizon, Comcast, and NBCUniversal, rolling back their DEI policies, and the FCC's approval of the Paramount-Skydance merger under the condition that Skydance Media would end its DEI initiatives.
- Despite the FCC's ongoing crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives under Chairman Brendan Carr's leadership, Paramount Global is reviewing its approach to DEI as a condition for the approval of its $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.
- Notably, Skydance Media has agreed to cease its DEI efforts as part of the merger settlement and has also pledged to appoint a CBS News ombudsman to address concerns about editorial bias for a period of two years.
- Beyond the media industry, the FCC's new stance is affecting other sectors, such as finance and politics, with T-Mobile becoming the latest company to drop its DEI initiatives under the FCC's scrutiny.
