CNN — The pending merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media was formally approved by the Trump administration on Thursday, concluding months of regulatory uncertainty.
FCC commissioners voted 2-1 along party lines to give the $8 billion deal a green light. The approval means that Skydance can complete the deal and take control of Paramount in the coming weeks.
The usually lengthy merger review process was pockmarked by allegations of political interference stemming from President Trump’s scathing criticism of Paramount’s CBS News division.
In recent days Paramount’s owners-in-waiting, led by Skydance CEO David Ellison, agreed to hire an ombudsman at CBS and pledged not to implement any new DEI policies.
Those commitments, as well as pledges relating to local content, were crucial for FCC chair Brendan Carr, who once showcased his loyalty to Trump by wearing a gold lapel pin of the president’s head.
Carr moved to have his fellow commissioners vote on the matter on Thursday.
“I welcome Skydance’s commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network,” Carr said in a statement. “In particular, Skydance has made written commitments to ensure that the new company’s programming embodies a diversity of viewpoints from across the political and ideological spectrum. Skydance will also adopt measures that can root out the bias that has undermined trust in the national news media.”
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