MeidasTouch Reacts to Latest on Colbert Coup Ben Meiselas and MeidasTouch Network Jul 21 By Ben Meiselas Hi MeidasMighty, it’s Ben Meiselas here. I wanted to give a brief update on the CBS coup of Stephen Colbert and 60 Minutes—and what MeidasTouch is doing to fight back. As always, thanks to our subscribers here on Substack. Please subscribe now if you aren’t yet a subscriber. We have grown with zero investors thanks to our subscribers. CBS now claims that it is not renewing the contract of Colbert because the show lost $40 million last year. They say it’s purely for financial reasons and has nothing to do with the recent meeting between Paramount and Trump’s FCC head, or the recent $16 million settlement it made with Trump. I’m not buying it. First, I don’t think Paramount has much credibility after throwing 60 Minutes under the bus and settling with Trump over a case where he alleged that the 60 Minutes interview with former VP Harris caused him emotional distress. Trump files many frivolous lawsuits, and in my opinion, the case against CBS was perhaps the most frivolous yet—done as a quid pro quo for regulatory approval of the Paramount-Skydance merger. Second, with Trump, we know if you give him an inch, he takes more—and eventually your life, your soul, or your company. In my opinion, it seems likely that Trump demanded more from Paramount after they folded in the settlement. Third, CBS renewed Colbert’s previous contract in 2023. I don’t believe the show suddenly became unprofitable this year. Corporate news networks frequently engage in “creative accounting” to show losses when it benefits them. With the explosion of digital media, Paramount should have been thrilled about the future potential for Colbert—especially considering their 2023 renegotiation. Fourth, and most importantly for me, is the clincher: Stephen Colbert is the top talent at CBS. I can’t think of anyone more recognizable and identified with CBS than Colbert. The fact that Colbert was surprised his show wasn’t getting renewed—and that it seemingly came out of nowhere—is all I need to know. Colbert had been with CBS for about a decade. In my opinion, it is not “good faith” to suddenly surprise your top talent that they’re gone without any back and forth. As far as we know, CBS never offered options to reduce costs on The Late Show, nor did they explain to Colbert why a salary cut was needed. They didn’t treat him like a human being or present him with the purported data—which they eventually leaked to the press anyway. There seems to have been no discussion. It seems like Colbert found out literally right before the public did. That doesn’t pass the smell test for me. That’s the type of bad faith behavior that Trump pulls. The most likely scenario in my opinion—and my hypothesis—is that, at the eleventh hour, Trump’s FCC gave an ultimatum to CBS and Skydance and gave them a short window to respond, which is why it caught Colbert off guard. I could be wrong, of course. But I think when you lay it out the way I did above, my explanation makes the most sense. This is why independent media is needed right now. The independent media ecosystem we are leading is the best—and only—way to respond to how corporate media is dismantling itself to become a propaganda arm for the regime. The difference in this historical moment is that we can now go pound for pound with corporate news networks on quality, research, and reach—and we can provide not just an alternative, but a fundamentally better product. Since the MeidasTouch Network is funded by subscribers on this Substack, we are in total alignment with the community that engages with and watches us. There is true accountability. Further, in the marketplace of ideas and news, when MeidasTouch Network and CBS have equal access to a distribution hub like YouTube or other digital platforms, you can see what people prefer. People prefer the truth and fearless reporting. That’s why the MeidasTouch Network gets far more digital views than CBS. I’ll conclude with this: Every single day, we try to make you proud to be a member of this community. Every day, we wake up and think about how we can best fight for you. Every day, we listen to you—what you’re going through and how we can respond. That’s the Meidas way. I certainly hope Colbert will join the MeidasTouch Network in the future, and I hope we can build out more shows like 60 Minutes before the CBS settlement. Every day, we know who we work for—and that’s you. Thanks for reading this, and please subscribe now to this Substack if you can. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.