The new ownership of CBS News on Monday selected Kenneth R. Weinstein, a former chief executive of the Hudson Institute, a right-leaning policy think tank, to review complaints about its coverage in a new post as ombudsman at the network.

Mr. Weinstein, who has no experience overseeing news coverage, was an unexpected choice for the role. He will report to Jeff Shell, the new president of CBS’s parent company Paramount, which recently merged with the Hollywood studio Skydance.

Installing an ombudsman at CBS News was one of Skydance’s commitments to the Trump administration earlier this year when the company sought approval for its merger with Paramount.

Skydance’s founder, David Ellison, has pledged to revamp CBS News, which regularly lags ABC and NBC in the Nielsen ratings and recently endured a standoff with President Trump over accusations of editorial bias. Mr. Ellison is in talks to acquire The Free Press, an independent news outlet, and install its co-founder, Bari Weiss, in a senior editorial role at CBS News; last week, the network changed its rules for handling some political interviews after pressure from the Trump administration.

Mr. Weinstein has had a long career in right-leaning and neoconservative public policy circles. He is a firm and vocal champion of Israel and a frequent critic of the Biden administration, once comparing the Biden White House to the bumbling characters of the television show “Veep.”

He donated roughly $40,000 to Republican and pro-Trump political groups last year, according to federal disclosure forms. Mr. Weinstein has served on federal advisory boards under both Democratic and Republican presidents; in 2020, Mr. Trump nominated him to serve as ambassador to Japan.