D-E-I is on about to D-I-E as Skydance merges with Paramount, and CBS sounds like it's about to get a massive overhaul.
As reported by The Wrap, the $8 billion merger will come with the "elimination of the media giant's diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and Paramount said that CBS is going to get a "comprehensive review" on its own bias:
“After consummation of the transaction, New Paramount’s new management will ensure that the company’s array of news and entertainment programming embodies a diversity of viewpoints across the political and ideological spectrum,” the company wrote. “Skydance recognizes that, as a broadcast licensee, it will be charged with operating in the public interest, and the company intends to undertake a comprehensive review of CBS and to make any necessary changes to ensure compliance with that standard. In all respects, Skydance will ensure CBS’ reporting is fair, accurate and fact-based.”
This is being done through an ombudsman, which is an independent representative meant to investigate complaints and see to it that incidences of bias or misconduct are addressed. They're meant to be a neutral party, but it's unclear how much rope Paramount is going to give this representative and his or her team to round-up all the issues CBS has.
The Wrap adds that Paramount's DEI destruction will be thorough:
As for the elimination of DEI programs, Skydance said New Paramount would no longer set numerical goals related to the race, ethnicity, sex or gender of job applications or employees; avoid using any of those characteristics as criteria for internal promotions; avoid having DEI objectives in its compensation plans, no longer set minimum spend requirements for diverse suppliers; and remove all DEI messaging from its internal training materials, as well as Paramount’s social media, websites and global business conduct statement.
Additionally, New Paramount is closing the Office of Global Inclusion and will not have any teams or roles focused on DEI. Instead, it will have teams focused on “employee culture and engagement” and will ensure its policies support nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity consistent with EEOC guidance. It will also move all Employee Resource Groups under the management of New Paramount’s human resources division.
It gets better.
According to Donald Trump, the "60 Minutes" lawsuit would give $16 million, plus $20 million from Skydance, with additional funds being paid "in the form of advertising, public service announcements or other similar programming and would put the total settlement value at over $36 million."
To be clear, Paramount denied this was happening and Skydance has refused to comment about it, but it looks like Trump is looking for free advertising for either himself, or parts of is agenda. It would be interesting if the PSA's Trump wants released are pro-American and put context that's been missing so long from the public eye back into the conversation about a variety of subjects.
If — and this "if" is coming directly from my skepticism of legacy media — all of this is true, then this will transform the face of the legacy media. It could very well be that Paramount is doing what other studios like Disney did, and are simply rearranging the deck chairs to make it look like a different boat, but if its not and actual integrity is returning to the network, then I feel like we're going to see something of an avalanche.
A lack of bias and an actual focus on talent will attract eyeballs as the quality of everything from news reporting to entertainment goes up. This will obviously lead to more money, more visibility, and more investors.
Paramount, and CBS with it, will become a business model worth replicating and other studios and legacy media outlets will likely adjust to mimic it in order to compete. Failure to at least move back toward the center a little more will result in a severe reduction in business, fewer eyeballs, and less societal goodwill, ultimately making them a third tier organization.
Not exactly prime soil for investors and advertisers.
This will effectively be the end of the woke era as "woke" becomes too costly. The left's panic over "discrimination" and "censorship" will likely fall on deaf ears as the money proves that society just doesn't buy the BS anymore.
DEI had its day, but it's increasingly looking like that day is done. Perhaps this merger has been the perfect excuse for Paramount to shrug off the infection entirely, and I'm glad to see it go.
That said, I'll believe it all when I see it.
