Skydance Tells FCC It Will Create CBS News Ombudsman, Eliminate DEI at Paramount
Skydance has told the Federal Communications Commission that once its acquisition of Paramount Global is complete, it will initiate a 'comprehensive review' of CBS to ensure that the network is operating in the public interest, and that it will hire an ombudsman that will report directly to the president of CBS News 'who will receive and evaluate any complaints of bias or other concerns' at the news division.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
Trump's Side Deal With "New Owners" of Paramount May Hint at FCC Concessions
Paramount Execs Tell Staff That Africa Offices and Channels May Close Amid Strategy Review (Exclusive)
Paramount Sued by Ex-Employees Over Alleged Sexual Assault, Harassment by Former Executive
The ombudsman role will be guaranteed for at least two years, with CBS News leadership committing to 'carefully review' any complaints.
Skydance also committed to eliminating all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI) at the company, writing in a letter that, 'The company is committed to ensuring that its storytelling reflects the many audiences and communities it serves in a manner that complies with non-discrimination requirements and other applicable laws.'
Skydance made the commitments in a pair of letters to the FCC, with one focused on 'addressing concerns about media bias' and another 'to confirm the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that were in place at Paramount and-to-confirm our commitments moving forward.'
'Skydance, for its part, does not have DEI programs in place today and will not establish such initiatives,' the letter continues. 'The company is committed to ensuring that its storytelling reflects the many audiences and communities it serves in a manner that complies with non-discrimination requirements and other applicable laws.'
The DEI changes will impact the company's hiring practices, promotion and development, compensation, and public messaging, among other areas. It will also eliminate the office of global inclusion.
Skydance also committed to maintaining a 'productive partnership' with its CBS affiliates.
More to come.
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started
Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023
Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
YAHOO POLL: Has Fantastic Four revived the MCU for you?
The Fantastic Four: The First Steps had its world premiere on Monday (21 July) night and the first reactions to the film were generally positive. The film was under immense pressure and expectations, no doubt due to its troubled cinematic history. Its first iteration under 20th Century Fox in 2005 was a flop. A reboot in 2015, also under 20th Century Fox, reimagined Marvel's First Family as a dark, gritty comic book film but it didn't fare better either. Other polls YAHOO POLL: Will you take Wegovy to lose weight? YAHOO POLL: Is the key to a good life in Singapore emotional and mental well-being? YAHOO POLL: Should Astronomer CEO Andy Byron have resigned? However, Marvel can finally breathe a sigh of relief as, despite a steep drop at the box office in its second weekend, the film is sitting well with critics. If anything, the fact that it retained the top position in the second weekend is a testament to the strength of the film. Fantastic Four has garnered an 86 per cent rating with critics and a 92 per cent rating with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. If it matters, Fantastic Four scored higher than James Gunn's Superman – which was released earlier in July. So, we want to hear from you – Has Fantastic Four revived the MCU for you? Related: Matt Shakman on why The Fantastic Four: First Steps didn't give continuity to Thunderbolts post-credits scene Ioan Gruffudd reflects on why his third Fantastic Four movie was scrapped Marvel's next moves: Black Panther 3 and a young X-Men cast to 'keep the cost down'; Blade and Deadpool 4 are lower priorities
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Is Archer Aviation Stock Due to Take Off After Aug. 11?
Key Points According to analysts, there is loads of growth potential in the eVTOL market in the years ahead. Archer's business isn't generating any revenue right now and its losses have been high. An update on its business operations, however, could spark a rally. 10 stocks we like better than Archer Aviation › Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) is an emerging company that's looking to make it big in the world of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. It has big plans for growth and for investors, presenting them with an exciting way to invest in a business that may have a ton of potential to become much more valuable in the years ahead. Analysts at Grand View Research project that the global eVTOL market will grow at a compound annual rate of 54.9% until the end of the decade. That's mind-boggling growth, and if Archer can be a part of that, there could be significant upside for the stock. Shares of Archer have more than doubled in the past 12 months. But year to date, things have cooled -- the stock is only up 3% since January. With earnings around the corner on Aug. 11, could now be a good time to consider buying shares of Archer? Could it be overdue for a big rally? How Archer's stock has done after recent earnings reports In the past few years, it's been a bit of a mixed bag for Archer's stock performance after earnings. Newsworthy items and announcements, rather than financials, are what tend to move the stock -- especially since the company isn't generating any revenue. What earnings could help with, however, is putting more of a spotlight on this seemingly overlooked stock this year. For all its potential, the excitement around Archer seems to have cooled. And what might give the stock a boost is any positive developments related to its operations and progress it is making toward certification of its Midnight aircraft. High short interest could make it a volatile holding One factor to consider when investing in Archer is that its short interest as a percentage of float is high, at around 20%. Although that has come down of late, it signifies that there are still a lot of short sellers and people betting against the company and its ability to succeed in the eVTOL market. If the company doesn't provide investors with an encouraging update to suggest that it may be on track for its goal of producing two aircraft per month by the end of the year, or making progress related to Midnight's test flights in Abu Dhabi (which began in July), then that could be the fuel that short sellers need to help drive the stock down lower. On the flip side, if there are positive signs that the business is going in the right direction, then it may result in a short squeeze and the stock taking off in value. Should you buy Archer stock today? Archer is a risky stock to invest in, because the company isn't generating any revenue today and it has burned through $377 million over the trailing 12 months, just from its day-to-day operating activities. With more than $1 billion in cash and cash equivalents on its books, it's not in any danger of running out of money anytime soon. But its cash burn will likely accelerate significantly as it ramps up production of its aircraft. The stock could be a good way to invest in the eVTOL market but this is an investment that may only be suitable to investors with a high risk tolerance. Archer's business, while promising, remains unproven. Given how early the company is in its growth, I don't see any urgency to buy the stock before it posts earnings on Aug. 11, and unless it releases some exciting developments, I wouldn't expect it to soar afterward, either. However, if you are bullish on the company's future and OK with the risk and uncertainty ahead, you may still be better off investing in Archer sooner rather than later, given that the eVTOL stock does appear to be flying under the radar these days. Do the experts think Archer Aviation is a buy right now? The Motley Fool's expert analyst team, drawing on years of investing experience and deep analysis of thousands of stocks, leverages our proprietary Moneyball AI investing database to uncover top opportunities. They've just revealed their to buy now — did Archer Aviation make the list? When our Stock Advisor analyst team has a stock recommendation, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor's total average return is up 1,019% vs. just 178% for the S&P — that is beating the market by 841.12%!* Imagine if you were a Stock Advisor member when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $624,823!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,064,820!* The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 29, 2025 David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is Archer Aviation Stock Due to Take Off After Aug. 11? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
3 Reasons XPO Stock Could Take Off in the Second Half of the Year
Key Points XPO beat estimates on the top and bottom lines in its second-quarter report. After an earlier investment cycle, management expects capex as a percentage of revenue to start to decline. XPO was the only one of the three major LTL carriers to improve its operating ratio in the quarter. 10 stocks we like better than XPO › The stock of XPO (NYSE: XPO) was one of the biggest winners of the last decade, and the less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier has continued in recent years, as the stock has quadrupled since early 2023. Those gains followed the spinoff of both GXO Logistics and RXO, its former truck brokerage division. Like its peers including Old Dominion Freight Lines and Saia, XPO continues to face headwinds from a "freight recession" that has lasted for about two to three years as manufacturing activity and industrial production have mostly contracted during that time. Nonetheless, the carrier has found new ways to grow its bottom line and improve margins, and those trends were on display in its second-quarter earnings report. XPO clears the Wall Street bar In a difficult macro environment, XPO reported flat revenue at $2.08 billion, which topped estimates at $2.05 billion. Revenue in the core North American LTL business (carriers that specialize in transporting smaller shipments that don't require a full truckload) was down 2.5% to $1.24 billion, while its European Transportation segment rose 4.1% to $841 million. Tonnage was down 6.7% per day, but the company made up for the decline in volume with an increase in yield (or price) of 6.1%, excluding fuel. Price increases were driven in part by service improvements like reducing damage claims and improved on-time performance that have allowed the company to raise prices. And it has found growth in the local market, serving small to medium-size businesses in need of local transportation. XPO was the only one of the three top LTL carriers to improve its adjusted operating ratio, which is the inverse of operating margin, in North America, which fell 30 basis points to 82.9% (a lower ratio is an indication of higher efficiency). Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) were essentially flat, falling from $343 million to $340 million, while adjusted earnings per share (EPS) fell from $1.12 to $1.05 as it lapped a tax benefit from the year before. That result still beat the consensus at $0.99. Investors seemed to shrug off the news as the stock was down slightly following the results and the earnings call, but XPO could please investors in the back half of the year. Let's take a look at a few reasons why. 1. Share buybacks are set to resume Historically, share repurchases have been a key tool for XPO to generate shareholder value, and it has deployed them effectively. The company began repurchasing its stock again in the second quarter, buying back a modest $10 million, and chief strategy officer Ali Faghri said in an interview with The Motley Fool that he expected those repurchases to pick up in the second half of the year, the time of year when it brings in the vast majority of its free cash flow due to the seasonality of its capital expenditures (capex). After years of ramping up capex to invest in new tractors, trailers, and terminals, the company expects capex as a percentage of revenue to start to decline, freeing up cash to invest in share repurchases and paying down debt. Both of those moves should help lift EPS as debt reduction will lower its interest expense, which ate up more than a quarter of operating income in the second quarter, and lowering shares outstanding will boost per-share earnings even if net income remains flat. 2. Nearshoring could drive growth in the industrial economy Growth in the LTL sector and for XPO in particular is closely tied to manufacturing activity in the country, and according to the ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), manufacturing activity has been declining for most of the last three years. It's unclear if trade negotiations have had an impact so far on XPO's business, but Faghri was optimistic that the new round of tariffs could help encourage nearshoring, or the return of manufacturing to the U.S., which would be a boon to XPO since two-thirds of its business comes from industrial customers. More U.S manufacturing would drive demand for LTL transportation, and could fuel a boom in the industry after years of stagnation. 3. Its local business is accelerating Despite the overall headwinds in tonnage, XPO is finding growth in the local channel, where a combination of investing in a local sales force and improvement in service quality through lower damage claims and improved on-time percentages have helped it attract more local business. That segment grew by high single digits in the second quarter, according to Faghri. That's also a key strategic initiative for the company since those tend to be higher-margin customers. Over the longer term, XPO aims to grow its share of revenue from the local channel from 20% to 30%. That figure is now in the low-to-mid 20% range, indicating more runway ahead as it grabs market share in that segment. Overall, XPO remains on track to achieve the 2027 goals it announced in 2021, which include compound annual revenue growth of 6% to 8%, compound annual adjusted EBITDA growth of 11% to 13%, and a 600-basis-point decline in adjusted operating ratio, meaning it would improve to 81%. With three potential growth drivers for the second half of the year, XPO appears to be in position to deliver strong results for investors, even as the broader freight market is still weak. Should you invest $1,000 in XPO right now? Before you buy stock in XPO, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and XPO wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $624,823!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,064,820!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,019% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 178% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 29, 2025 Jeremy Bowman has positions in GXO Logistics, RXO, and XPO. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Old Dominion Freight Line. The Motley Fool recommends GXO Logistics, RXO, and XPO and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $195 calls on Old Dominion Freight Line and short January 2026 $200 calls on Old Dominion Freight Line. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 3 Reasons XPO Stock Could Take Off in the Second Half of the Year was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
