Thus far, the new Paramount CEO has publicly given support to CBS News.

Ellison, alongside George Cheeks, who was named chair of TV Media of the combined company, reportedly toured the CBS News headquarters last Thursday morning, with Puck’s Dylan Byers writing that the Paramount CEO told staffers, “I believe in the legacy of CBS News and being in the trust business and the truth business.”

Prior to the visit, Ellison also shared a companywide letter acknowledging the conclusion of the merger process. In it, he described CBS News as “home to one of the most storied American broadcast journalism legacies in America, including 60 Minutes, with a long tradition of impactful reporting led by seasoned journalists committed to accuracy, integrity, and public trust.” 

Ellison also recognized the trying times CBS News faced during the merger process, saying it had been “a challenging period and we’re deeply grateful for your resilience, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to the news business.” 

He went on to say the company is proud of the news organization while looking “forward to continuing to foster a newsroom culture where journalists are empowered, trusted, and equipped to do their best work.”

When asked about CBS News’ future under Skydance, a rep for CBS News referred TVNewser to Ellison’s letter.

Still, time will tell how the merger impacts the news organization. Reports suggest that former CBS News head David Rhodes may return, and there is a potential purchase of Bari Weiss‘s The Free Press on the horizon, but neither has come to fruition as of now.

Additionally, aside from the merger, CBS News has been undergoing several changes recently.

Its relaunched evening news franchise, CBS Evening News, is still trying to find its footing, as it remains the No. 3 newscast in the ratings. Meanwhile, as a result of cost-cutting measures, CBS Mornings, which is still in third place in the morning show battles, is moving out of its Times Square studios back to the CBS Broadcast Center, its original home.

Plus, 60 Minutes is under the guidance of a new leader, Tanya Simon, and how the franchise and its talent operate moving forward is still unfolding.

Ultimately, much about how CBS News will operate under Skydance Media remains to be determined. But if Skydance wants the organization to succeed, figuring it out should be … well … paramount.