Recruitment
Position: CBS is looking for someone to fill the role of “Ombudsman” for news, aiming to shift its typically democratic representation.
Salary: $250,000 annually.
Time Commitment: One day per month.
It seems like a pretty decent gig, really. And reportedly, CBS executives are actively seeking out broadcasters for this role.
This position arose from a settlement with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which had been examining whether CBS’s perceived bias towards Democratic viewpoints was in line with the FCC’s “public interest” criteria.
The controversy largely stemmed from a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris during the 2024 election, where many, including Trump and his supporters, thought CBS had edited it to present her more favorably. It seems there’s been some outreach to check on interest for the job.
Additionally, the timing of this development coincides with a more favorable outlook for CBS as the FCC Chair, Brendan Kerr, has opted against pursuing further scrutiny regarding past complaints about how “60 Minutes” edited former President Biden’s responses in interviews.
Former Paramount CEO Shari Redstone reportedly settled another lawsuit over the editing issue related to Harris, shelling out $16 million. On top of that, the new owner is expected to promote Pro Magazine publicly.
Interestingly, CBS doesn’t anticipate a heavy workload from the Ombudsman role—at least, that’s the current understanding. Sources suggest the commitment is roughly one day a month with salaries that, while sitting in the six-figure range, might feel a bit low given the underlying tensions surrounding bias, clocking in at about $250,000 annually.
“When we heard about the Ombudsman role and its pay, we thought $250,000 seems inadequate given the complexity,” remarked a telecom lawyer familiar with the situation. “You’ll definitely put in more than just one day a month.”
A CBS spokesperson, along with FCC officials, chose to refrain from commenting on these matters.
As for the FCC’s investigation into Harris, it was focused on whether CBS’s presentation on “60 Minutes” represented her in a favorable light when addressing policy issues and if any unfair edits had taken place regarding other candidates. Despite CBS’s refusal to file any complaints, this inquiry has caused a hiccup in a hefty $8 billion merger involving CBS’s parent company, Paramount, and Skydance, which is an independent studio. The network had to respond to the FCC’s demands to move things forward.
Establishing the Ombudsman position was part of the conditions imposed by the FCC for granting approval for the merger, which was finalized on August 7. Other prerequisites included commitments to diversity and equitable hiring practices.
The recruitment effort is being led by Jeff Shell, who is now at the helm of CBS News, as the merger wraps up. CBS has agreed to have this mediator help address concerns about political biases within their news coverage for a period of two years.
Interestingly, the Ombudsman will report directly to Shell, rather than going through the FCC.
So far, the network has interviewed candidates with ties to right-wing media and think tanks, according to insiders.
The FCC is keeping a close watch on whether the Ombudsman can effectively tackle perceptions of bias, given the prevalent left-leaning sentiment in network news.
Such perceptions in local broadcast news can be at odds with the FCC’s fairness guidelines, which govern public airwaves, unlike cable broadcasts.
The FCC holds the authority to deny local broadcasting licenses or impose fines should these rules be violated.
