On 'Daily Variety' podcast, Skydance Media's overtures accelerate FCC approval of Paramount Global deal; Why Steve Stoute is Music Mogul of the Year.

After a long, complicated slog toward Thursday’s FCC approval, Paramount Global and Skydance Media will now face a number of tricky questions in becoming one company. While the $8 billion-plus transaction will need a few more days to become official,

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez has issued a scathing statement of dissent following the approval of the Paramount and Skydance Media deal on Thursday, noting the merger marks a “direct violation of the first amendment.”

Skydance Media has made additional promises to the FCC in an effort to get approval for its $8 billion merger with Paramount Global.

Skydance CEO David Ellison told the FCC he wants “American storytelling” at Paramount while touting a new, “unbiased” editorial direction for CBS News.

David Ellison met this week with Brendan Carr and FCC staffers to discuss the Paramount Global merger which is still under agency review.

CBS News has been dogged for decades by allegations of liberal bias, with the controversies over its coverage decisions intensifying over the last year.

More than a year after Skydance Media and its partners clinched a deal with Shari Redstone and Paramount Global to merge the companies, the FCC has yet to act on an application to approve the transfer of CBS licenses to the new ownership.