Skydance CEO met with FCC chair ahead of canceling "The Late Show"
Why it matters: The meeting came two days before CBS abruptly announced that it is canceling"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" after the next season in May 2026, citing "financial" reasons.
Zoom in: Ellison and his lawyer, Matthew A. Brill of Latham & Watkins, met with Carr, his chief of staff Greg Watson and Ben Arden, the FCC's special counsel in the Office of the Bureau Chief of the Media Bureau, according to a letter sent by Brill to the FCC's secretary.
They urged the FCC's Media Bureau to "promptly grant" Paramount's applications to transfer control of its broadcast licenses to its new owners, after emphasizing "the public interest benefits" of the deal in the meeting.
"[W]e explained the Ellison family and RedBird represent fresh leadership with the vision and experience needed to drive New Paramount's long-term growth in the face of the challenges presented by today's media landscape, all while preserving and enhancing the legacy and broad reach of both the national CBS television network and the company's 28 owned-and-operated local television stations," Ellison's lawyer wrote.
"Relatedly, we discussed Skydance's commitment to unbiased journalism and its embrace of diverse viewpoints, principles that will ensure CBS's editorial decision-making reflects the varied ideological perspectives of American viewers," he added.
Between the lines: CBS canceled " The Late Show" just days after its parent company, Paramount, agreed to settle a lawsuit with President Trump.
That timeline has drawn scrutiny from the creative community like the Writers Guild of America, which represents thousands of Hollywood writers including those at "The Late Show."
WGA said it has significant concerns that the cancellation "is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval," it said in a statement Friday.
More than 30 petitions have already been launched on Change.org to save the show.
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