Trump Holds Secret Meeting to Take Over Network

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2:24Michael Popok:Look what I found right here in a letter from the lawyers representing the new purchaser of CBS, a promise to Donald Trump effectively that they're going to be the new Fox News and they're going to be pro-Trump 24-7 in return for the approval of the transaction for Skydance and the son of Larry Ellison to buy all of Paramount's assets from the Sumner Redstone family. They wouldn't get that approval unless they made this promise. Here I have it on Latham and Watkins, their lawyer's letterhead. And there's one thing I finally agree with, with Brendan Carr, who is the political hack elevated to the head of the Federal Communications Commission by Donald Trump.

3:10Michael Popok:In approving the transaction after he got this promise that they're going to be the new Fox News and be pro-Trump, which I'm going to read to you from, he said the following. And I agree. Americans no longer trust the legacy national news media to report fully, accurately and fairly. It's time for a change. Our audience knows that. You're here on the Midas Touch Network and Legal AF. I'm Michael Popok. Let's get down to this letter I just found and the now new announcement after Stephen Colbert got sacrificed that there is a deal and it's been approved. And Skydance and Larry Ellison's son, who's a big Trump supporter, are going to be owning the network.

3:47Michael Popok:This is why legacy media doesn't work because it's owned by corporate parents who are more worried about their profits and making nice with the Trump administration than freedom of the press. All right. So let's get down to the letter that I found. This was filed and sent in to the Federal Communications Commission a few days ago, reporting on a meeting that we did not know about before, but we do now on July 15th, 2025. Here's what the lawyers Matthew Brill from Latham and Watkins had to say about that. On July 15, 2025, the Underside and David Ellison, son of Larry Ellison, met with Chairman Brendan Carr, his chief of staff, and others in the media bureau.

4:29Michael Popok:At the meeting, we, representing the buyers of CBS News, 60 Minutes, and the rest, emphasized the public interest benefits of the Skydance proposed acquisition of Paramount. That's who owns 60 Minutes and CBS News. We, with respect to the transaction's significant public interest benefits, we explained that with fresh leadership, with the vision and experience needed to drive new paramounts long-term growth, wait for it, all while preserving and enhancing the legacy and broad reach of both the national CBS television network and the company's 28 owned and operated local television stations. Relatedly, we discuss Skydance's commitment to unbiased journalism and its embrace of diverse viewpoints, principles that will ensure CBS's editorial decision-making reflects the varied ideological perspectives of American viewers.

5:26Michael Popok:I got news for CBS. We don't want ideological views on CBS News. That's the point. I don't know how you're unbiased journalists and also have a diverse ideological views being presented. And let's translate this. This is like Popak translate, like Google translate. We are going to run the network to make Donald Trump happy because we needed his approval in order to get the transaction done because he squeezed us about the 60 minute settlement. That's the translation. Let's stop with all the niceties and verbiage and big law firm, big law letterheads. That's what it says. It says, hey, you might have trouble with Rupert Murdoch and Fox right now because Rupert Murdoch is at war with you with the Wall Street Journal.

6:13Michael Popok:But don't worry, you can count on CBS owned by the Ellison family, who are big supporters of yours. That's what this letter says. And as I said, the only thing I agree with with Brendan Carr is you can't trust legacy mainstream media for any of your reporting. That's why we founded Midas Touch. That's why we founded Legal AF. So let's back up. How did we get here? The Sumner Redstone family, ever since he died, have been trying to figure out a way to cash out on daddy Redstone's assets. Thinks the imaginary sixth season of Succession on HBO. and they can't figure out how to do it because part of it was based on Murdoch family and part of it was based on the Redstone family, that show.

6:57Michael Popok:And they're having trouble. They find a buyer in the kid, he's like 30 years old or something, that, no attack on 30-year-olds. They founded the Midas Touch Network. But the 30-year-old son, Nepo Baby of Larry Ellison, decides it's through Skydance, he's going to start buying media assets. and perfect match, right? Shari Redstone's trying to figure out a way to cash out in this. What happens is 60 Minutes gets sued for billions of dollars because Donald Trump doesn't like the way, he's a sore winner. He doesn't like the way they edited Kamala Harris's answers to some questions by Bill Whitaker during her interview that Donald Trump avoided 60 Minutes altogether.

7:39Michael Popok:She went on, she gave an answer, it was a little bit rambling. They edited it, but then they put the full, as they always do, full interview on another CBS social media property. Who cares? They were going to win that case. They sued him in Texas. They were going to win that case. But they didn't want to win the case. They wanted to write a big check like Columbia University is paying$200 million in benefits to Donald Trump. And ABC News paid$15 million to Donald Trump. The only ones that are not going to pay, I don't think, is the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch and others. But be that as it may.

8:12Michael Popok:So they need an approval because they are a on-air communications company. So the Federal Communications Committee regulates them. By the way, they don't regulate YouTube and they don't regulate independent media like ours. So, of course, what would we need? Hit the button for the subscribe buttons, Legal AF and Midas Touch. So knowing Donald Trump, knowing that they need a governmental approval that he controls, He squeezes them by the brass ones until they say uncle, mixing my metaphors, and agree not to pay money, but agree to make major changes in the editorial position of 60 Minutes. So take the Tiffany Network, so named because CBS started in a building that was inside of Tiffany's in New York.

9:00Michael Popok:Take the Tiffany Network, Edward R. Murrow's Pride and Joy, Walter Cronkite's and Mike Wallace's 60 Minutes. Take it all and put it in a giant trash bag and put it out on your morning trash day because that's it. And if you are a legitimate journalist that's still within what used to be the crown jewel of CBS, its news department, you need to leave. You need to go find another job. You need to talk to Legal AF and the Midas Dutch Network is what you need to do. Because the days of your having your own point of view independently from your owners are over. That's what this letter says. That's what this approval means.

9:48Michael Popok:That's what the firing of Stephen Colbert. Stephen Colbert wasn't fired because of his ratings. He's at the exact same ratings for the last 20 years. He's at the exact same position, number two in late night, for like the last 20 years. You know, it's Jimmy Kimmel and him. That's it. He got fired because he had the temerity to take on the Trump administration and go literally tell Donald Trump to go F himself and call out his bosses at CBS and Paramount for cutting a deal for not$16 million as reported, which is the amount, the$16 million, which is the amount that they're going to pay to, I don't know, the Trump library, but another$15 or$16 million, get this, on free advertising on where?

10:33Michael Popok:CBS. If you haven't cut the cord yet on CBS, cut the cord on CBS. You can't watch them and support them. What are you going to do? Watch Trump ads all day long? And then news breaks coming in in the middle of your programs, middle of your shows brought to you by the Trump CBS News Network? Why don't they just call it TCBS? That would be easier. Call it TCBS. Then you're up front. Then you're transparent. You know, look, at the end of the day, these are the choices that people are having to make. And, you know, I've had to make a lot of choices, too. You know, I prepare for Midas Touch and on Legal AF to bring you, without smoke or sunshine, reports, facts, then my commentary on top of that.

11:26Michael Popok:But as I prepare for Legal AF and my podcast to get to those core facts without bias, you see how hard it is. In reporting from mainstream outlets, it's getting more and more difficult. But I use a tool I want you to know about, especially if you're like me, you're frustrated with biased mainstream news. The one that Brendan Carr just pointed out? Or sorting through endless sources to just figure out what is actually true? Look, I use Ground News, and frankly, you should too. It's an app and a website that brings together news stories from around the world and then shows you the political bias, factual reliability, and ownership of each source backed by ratings from three independent news monitoring organizations.

12:08Michael Popok:So instead of relying on just one outlet, you get the full picture. You can literally compare how the left, right and center are covering the same story all in one place. For example, Ground News tracked over 100 outlets covering how Trump made ICE the most heavily funded law enforcement agency in U.S. history. But right leaning sources, they barely covered it. That kind of imbalance, Ground News makes it visible. and because it's subscriber funded, Ground News avoids the traps of clickbait and sensationalism. I find Ground News essential to see through any double standards in the current media ecosphere.

12:46Michael Popok:If you go to ground.news slash AF or scan the QR code, we're giving our viewers 40 % off Ground News' top tier vantage plan, which will get you unlimited access to everything I've shown you and more. Ground News is subscriber funded, so they don't rely on ads that could also introduce bias. Subscribing supports our channel and their independent team working to keep the media transparent. Head to ground.news slash AF or scan the QR code to get 40 % off the Vantage plan, which gives you unlimited access for 12 months. Support independent media and get clarity on the news you consume. I'm so glad to be affiliated with Ground News, and I'm so glad that you're here on the Midas Touch Network and on Legal AF.

13:32Michael Popok:Follow me on all things Legal AF here and on the Legal AF podcast, Legal AF YouTube channel, Legal AF Substack, you name it, I'm on it. So until my next report, I'm Michael Popak. In collaboration with the Midas Touch Network, we just launched the Legal AF YouTube channel. Help us build this pro-democracy channel where I'll be curating the top stories, the intersection of law and politics. Go to YouTube now and free subscribe at Legal AFMTN. That's at Legal AFMTN.

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