Fri, 25 Jul 2025

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 US FCC clears $8bn Skydance-Paramount merger

The Federal Communications Commission has approved the deal between Skydance and Paramount, parent of the CBS network.

* The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved a merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media, with a value of $8 billion.
* The merger was first announced in 2024 and is expected to be completed on August 7th.
* As part of the deal, Skydance will take over CBS, including its broadcast licences for 28 owned-and-operated television stations.
* FCC head Brendan Carr welcomed the merger, stating that it would bring "significant changes" to CBS and promote "unbiased journalism".
* The merged company has promised to install an ombudsman to evaluate complaints of bias and end diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, as per the Trump administration's demands.
* The deal was approved with a 2-1 vote, with one commissioner dissenting.
* Paramount Global has struggled in recent years and has made several concessions to the FCC, including settling a lawsuit with Donald Trump over an interview on CBS.
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