Fact Check: Is CBS required to have a Trump-approved ‘bias monitor’ after Paramount-Skydance merger?
WASHINGTON, DC: After the FCC greenlit Skydance’s takeover of Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS, in July 2025, a wave of claims has emerged online.
A prominent claim is that CBS would be forced to accept a “bias monitor” appointed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), who would report directly to President Donald Trump.
The story gained rapid traction across social media, fueled in part by a statement from FCC chair Brendan Carr. But what’s fact, and what’s fiction?
Claim: Paramount-Skydance merger requires CBS to accept a 'bias monitor' appointed by Donald Trump's FCC
A viral Facebook post by a page called Care2, which has raked in over 10,000 shares and gained more than 1,000 likes, claimed that a condition of the Paramount-Skydance merger required CBS News to accept a "bias monitor" appointed by Donald Trump's FCC, who would report directly to the POTUS.
A widely circulated video echoed the same allegation, asserting that the monitor would have a direct reporting line to the president.
It contained a clip of FCC chair Carr telling Newsmax that CBS would install a bias monitor who “will report directly to the president.”
Fact Check: Viral claim about CBS needing to accept a 'bias monitor' is a mixture of truth and falsehood
According to fact-checking outlet Snopes, the viral claim about a Donald Trump-appointed "bias monitor" is a mix of truth and falsehood.
It is true that Skydance, as part of its merger agreement with Paramount Global, committed that the newly formed Paramount Skydance Corp would “have in place” an ombudsman to review and evaluate complaints of bias at CBS. This commitment was made in a July 22, 2025, letter from Skydance to FCC chair Carr, addressing concerns about media bias raised during the merger process.
Skydance clarified that the ombudsman would report to Jeff Shell, the president of Paramount Skydance Corp, not to any government official.
While the FCC acknowledged the company’s commitment to appoint an ombudsman, it did not require, assign, or appoint the position itself. Despite some claims, there is no evidence that the FCC mandated a “bias monitor” or that this role would report to Trump.
On July 24, 2025, the FCC officially approved the Skydance-Paramount merger, noting the ombudsman provision. In all public communications from both the FCC and Carr, the language remained consistent: the company would "have in place" an ombudsman, but there was no indication of a direct government role in selecting or overseeing that individual.
What is the background behind the ombudsman role?
In a letter dated July 22, 2025, Skydance mentioned a similar case from the past. Back in 2011, the FCC approved Comcast’s purchase of NBCUniversal. As part of that deal, Comcast agreed to have an ombudsman to help prevent editorial bias in NBC’s news coverage.
This wasn’t the first time NBC had an ombudsman. According to the FCC, the position was first created during an earlier NBC merger in 1986. Comcast decided to keep the role voluntarily to help protect the independence of NBC’s news operations.
The FCC did not appoint the ombudsman for NBC. Instead, Comcast chose the person for the role. At the time, the FCC expressed concerns about whether Comcast could remove the ombudsman without a good reason or change the ombudsman’s powers whenever it wanted.
Shell, who now leads Paramount Skydance Corp, was once the CEO of NBCUniversal when it was owned by Comcast.
