CAR to FCC: Protect American Media from Foreign Influence and Bias
Center for American Rights Challenges Skydance-Paramount Merger
Over CCP Ties, News Bias, and Discriminatory Hiring Practices
Chicago, IL- The Center for American Rights (CAR) filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission calling for strict conditions on the proposed ownership transfer involving Skydance Media and Paramount Global. CAR urges the new corporation to demonstrate how it will protect content from undue foreign influence, promote viewpoint diversity on the airwaves, and treat all employees equally without regard to race or gender.
The petition asks the Commission to place the approval on a probationary status for an appropriate period of years until compliance with the conditions is evident.
“Two-thirds of Americans do not trust the broadcasters who use the public airwaves. CBS needs to focus on restoring trust and creating content that offers diverse viewpoints, not programming that pleases the Chinese Communist Party,” said Daniel Suhr, President of the Center.
CAR has deep concerns about the proposed merger of Skydance Media and Paramount Global because both have appeared to breach the Commission's standards. In particular, serious questions have been raised about Skydance’s ties to a company heavily influenced and invested in by the Chinese Communist Party. Paramount’s CBS News division has exhibited clear ideological bias, and its management has been criticized for enforcing illegal racial quotas.
“From the editing of Top Gun: Maverick to appease the Chinese to bias in the Vance/Walz debate, the American people deserve better—media that reflect diverse viewpoints and core American values of freedom and fairness,” continued Suhr.
This petition continues the Center for American Rights’ efforts to hold media corporations accountable. Recent actions include filing FCC and FEC complaints against ABC News for bias in the Harris-Trump debate, WCBS-TV for news distortion in a Vice President Harris interview, the Washington Post for undisclosed electioneering ads, and NBC for violating equal time rules with Harris’s Saturday Night Live appearance.