Variety has reported that during a meeting between the FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, and Skydance’s Chief, David Ellison, along with Ellison’s lawyer, Mathew A. Brill, and special counsel for the FCC, Ben Arden, it was promised that New Paramount will ensure CBS’s “editorial decision-making reflects the varied ideological perspectives of American viewers.” This could be paramount in getting the merger approved, as it’s been over a year since the FCC has been reviewing the merger, considering that one of the key components of the review was the reopening of a federal complaint about “news distortion” within CBS that stemmed from the 60 Minutes Kamala Harris interview.

Mxdwn previously reported that President Trump sued CBS for its alleged deceptive editing of his then-rival Harris’s interview. The lawsuit was recently settled for $16 million, with no apologies issued for the alleged biased editing on the end of CBS.

It has come to my attention that the New York Times does not agree with what we are doing at the FCC.

My official response: https://t.co/IlWvNSthf4 pic.twitter.com/PunmIYOFqr

— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) July 14, 2025

Variety also revealed that another topic of interest at the Skydance-FCC round table was DEI. Carr and Trump have been big opponents of the equitable ideology, with The New York Times claiming that the FCC is pressuring companies to drop DEI, and it’s working. Carr took to his X account for a rebuttal. He shared a status saying, “It has come to my attention that the New York Times does not agree with what we are doing at the FCC. My official response: [Video content]” Which included a video of a man in a tuxedo singing the words, we’re gonna do it anyway.” To ease the FCC chairman’s concerns, Ellison and his lawyer “noted Skydance’s commitment to promoting non-discrimination and equal employment opportunity at New Paramount, ensuring the company is fully compliant with law.”

Variety also disclosed that yet another topic of discussion was the accusation against Skydance of the “prospect of undue foreign influence over New Paramount.” Media Play News reported back in December of last year that the Center for American Rights filed a complaint with the FCC, calling on them to further scrutinize the merger due to the possibility of alleged Chinese influence on the U.S. Media Landscape. This stemmed from a minority stake in Skydance by the Chinese company Tencent Holdings. Variety mentions that Skydance responded to these claims back in March by stating that “any insinuation that a great and deeply patriotic American family, the Ellisons, will be swayed by Communist influences is offensive.” Although the Center for American Rights highlighted in its complaint that Skydance allegedly removed the Japanese and Taiwanese flags on Maverick’s jacket in the trailer for Top Gun: Maverick to appease the Chinese government.

Per Variety, at the FCC meeting, Ellison and Brill ensured Carr that “Tencent will hold only a non-voting, passive interest in New Paramount,” which means that Tencent will have “no governance or informational rights and therefore no ability to influence the operation of New Paramount.” This seems to be in response to the FCC complaint against the deal, which claims that “Tencent is a company reported to be aligned closely to the Chinese Communist Party. … Even if this minority ownership stake by a Chinese company does not transgress technical foreign ownership limits, [the FCC] can still — under the public interest standard — evaluate whether an American-owned company is willingly subject to undue foreign influence.”

Variety concludes that to drive their point home, Skydance confirms, ““[W]e made clear that Mr. Ellison will lead New Paramount with a talented team of executives focused on American storytelling, and that RedBird’s investment in New Paramount will not involve any participation by any Chinese entity or individual, the planned governance structure will ensure the Ellison family’s management of New Paramount is fully consistent with the Commission’s rules and will not be subject to any Chinese (or other foreign) influence.”