Hours after announcing the approval of Skydance’s merger with Paramount, FCC chairman Brendan Carr touted the company’s commitment to “addressing bias & restoring fact-based reporting” at CBS News, among other things.

Skydance Media offered olive branches to the Federal Communications Commission in order to secure approval for its $8 billion acquisition of Paramount Global, and those overtures achieved the desired result.

Plus, Hulk Hogan, the pro wrestler who brought the sport to new heights of mainstream popularity, died at the age of 71.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr praised Skydance Media’s commitment to hire an ombudsman for CBS News after it completes its merger with Paramount Global. The commitment was outlined in a filing with the FCC this week.

Upon the deal’s closing, Skydance and its financial partners are set inject $1.5 billion in cash into Paramount. However, that’s intended to go toward reducing Paramount’s long-term debt ($14.16 billion as of Q1 of 2025) to help stabilize its balance sheet.

Liberal lawmakers asked David Ellison, chief executive of Skydance Media, which is set to merge with CBS owner Paramount, about alleged promises on conservative ad content.

CBS News has been dogged for decades by allegations of liberal bias, with the controversies over its coverage decisions intensifying over the last year.

Paramount Global’s co-CEOs told employees Friday that they expect an August 7 closing date for the company’s merger with Skydance, praising staffers’ efforts during the grueling process of getting the deal done.