Sources familiar with the pending merger of CBS and Viacom have said that majority owner Shari Redstone is eyeing a possible channel dedicated to conservative news, a move that could mean a ratings challenger for Fox News.

Insiders believe that Redstone is possibly planning to launch such a venture on the recently acquired “Pluto” channel, which Viacom purchased in March for $340 million. Redstone is also said to have attended several meetings about the potential for a conservative news network and has had talks with several prominent media figures that could potentially appear on the network.