Movies

DEI is dead at Paramount, David Ellison’s Skydance promises FCC

BBG News

David Ellison’s company, Skydance Media, decided to discontinue their diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives as part of a strategy aimed at obtaining government approval for their $8-billion merger with Paramount Global.

Previously this year, Paramount had reduced the scope of their diversity initiatives. However, in a recent letter to the Federal Communications Commission Chairman, Brendan Carr, Skydance has announced they will discontinue these initiatives entirely.

In simpler terms, the letter from Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon, general counsel at Skydance, states that they are no longer going to have a department dedicated to Global Inclusion. This means there will be no teams or specific roles focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). This decision seems to reflect an earlier action by the appointee of President Trump in his role as chair, where he dismantled the agency’s diversity programs and encouraged other companies to follow suit.

Kyoko McKinnon stated that Paramount intends to eliminate mentions of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in their external communications, such as on their websites and social media platforms. Additionally, they plan to reduce or eliminate the use of DEI language in internal messages and training materials.

Last week, Ellison held a meeting with Carr to advocate that Skydance and their partner RedBird Capital Partners would be capable caretakers for Paramount (which encompasses CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, BET, and the movie studio on Melrose Avenue, Paramount Pictures). Skydance is seeking Carr’s consent for this merger and the transfer of the CBS television station licenses to the Ellison family.

Hollywood Inc.

During a press conference held on the White House lawn yesterday, Trump expressed that Ellison is exceptional and will perform admirably in his task.

At “Skydance,” concerns about perceived news bias in shows like “60 Minutes” and others were addressed individually.

Ellison’s company promised to enhance openness and responsibility within CBS News. They stated they will appoint an ombudsman who reports directly to the president of Paramount, responsible for receiving and reviewing any claims of bias or other issues concerning CBS, for a duration of at least two years.

Trump’s anger over the alterations made to a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris from last autumn almost jeopardized Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount. This situation led to an investigation by Carr into potential news manipulation, after Trump filed a lawsuit against CBS in a federal court in Texas.

Previously this month, Paramount resolved a $16-million dispute with Trump by way of a settlement, an event that had led to significant internal conflicts within Paramount and resulted in senior CBS executives leaving. On Tuesday, Trump announced on Truth Social his expectation of receiving an extra $20 million in advertising and public service announcement (PSA) time from the new owners.

In a meeting on July 15th, Ellison emphasized Skydance’s dedication to impartial journalism and their inclusivity towards multiple viewpoints. These values, he stated in a FCC filing, would guarantee that CBS’s editorial decisions reflect the broad spectrum of ideological views among American audiences.

Skydance’s Kyoko McKinnon stated: “We confirm once more that, following the completion of the planned transaction, New Paramount’s leadership will strive to offer a broad range of news and entertainment content reflecting various political and ideological viewpoints, aligning with the diverse opinions held by our viewers.

Recently, Ellison had a meeting with well-known journalist Bari Weiss, rumored to be about Skydance potentially buying her online periodical, the Free Press, as an option to conventional news platforms. She established this outlet, which frequently challenges DEI policies, following her resignation from her position as an opinion writer at The New York Times, expressing dissatisfaction with the intolerance she and her conservative perspectives faced there.

California

The Rev.

Additionally, it came to light last week that late-night host Stephen Colbert was informed his CBS show would end in May. CBS maintains this financial decision is unrelated to the recent merger approval and not a response to Colbert’s repeated criticism of President Trump. However, both conservatives and liberals have raised eyebrows, speculating if Colbert’s frequent criticisms may have influenced the cancellation.

Skydance has said it didn’t have a role in the Colbert decision.

It’s not just Skydance that faces the need to abandon diversity initiatives in order to secure FCC approval for a transaction; other companies are in a similar situation.

Or,

Skydance is one of several companies needing to reconsider their diversity programs if they want FCC approval for a deal, not an exception.

Approximately two months ago, Verizon, a major player in telecommunications, agreed to scale back their diversity initiatives as a means to secure Carr’s approval for their $20-billion acquisition of Frontier Communications.

As a dedicated cinephile, I embarked on my own independent exploration of the diversity initiatives at both Walt Disney Company and Comcast Corporation.

Hollywood Inc.

Ever since President Trump resumed his presidency, there’s been a swift shift among entertainment and media firms to tone down initiatives aiming at fostering diversity, fairness, and inclusivity, not just within their organizations but also in the programming they distribute.

Following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020, Paramount and various Hollywood studios pledged to increase their workforce diversity. This decision was widely applauded, particularly by those aware of Hollywood’s past struggles concerning racial representation.

Essentially, Paramount used to motivate its leaders to recruit and promote a varied workforce, with advancement towards company objectives being among several metrics for determining bonuses. However, they dismantled this program last year.

For a considerable period, CBS faced challenges in moving away from the traditional format of prime-time sitcoms, focusing mainly on series featuring leading white male characters, similar to “The King of Queens,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and “Two and a Half Men.

2018 saw a break from tradition for the network with “The Neighborhood,” featuring Cedric the Entertainer, and the procedural drama “FBI” starring Zeeko Zaki, marking a new trend.

In addition to their other efforts, CBS has long been advocates for mentorship schemes aimed at fostering diversity among writers and directors since 2004. This initiative was established with the goal of cultivating a wider pool of creative talent.

Skydance vowed to avoid establishing quantitative targets concerning the racial, ethnic, or gender composition of their job candidates.

Kyoko McKinnon stated that the company strives to tell its stories in a way that respects all the diverse groups it caters to, adhering to anti-discrimination rules and relevant legal norms.

Daniel Suhr, head of the conservative Center for American Rights, expressed his enthusiasm over today’s news, stating, “These announcements mark significant strides in enhancing broadcasting that caters to all viewers.” The Center had previously filed a complaint with the FCC concerning “60 Minutes,” and proposed the appointment of a CBS News ombudsman.

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2025-07-24 00:08

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