The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted 2–1 to approve Skydance Media’s acquisition of Paramount Global, clearing the last regulatory hurdle for an entertainment deal valued at roughly $8 billion. The decision transfers broadcast licenses for 28 CBS-owned stations to a Skydance-led consortium and is expected to allow the transaction to close within weeks. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Republican appointee, said he backed the merger after Skydance pledged to abolish diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and to appoint an ombudsman to investigate complaints of political or editorial bias at CBS News. Carr described the commitments as steps toward restoring public trust in national media outlets. Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez dissented, calling the approval an "unprecedented" intrusion into newsroom decisions and warning that the agency’s conditions threaten First Amendment protections. Lawmakers including Senators Edward Markey and Ben Ray Luján have also criticized the process, arguing it appeared linked to Paramount’s earlier $16 million settlement of a Donald Trump lawsuit over a 2024 CBS ‘60 Minutes’ interview with then-vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Under the merger terms, tech heir David Ellison will become chair and chief executive of the combined company, while former NBCUniversal chief Jeff Shell will serve as president. Paramount’s Class B shares rose about 1.4 percent in post-market trading following the FCC ruling.