Shari Redstone: Farewell to Journalism at CBS & "60 Minutes".

Shari Redstone: "Donny, may I kiss your ring?"

I cannot recall a time when I was as incensed at something happening in the industry I have devoted my life to. A journalist since I snared that first gig at WIOD-AM in Miami back in the days of wooden knobs on radios, I have continued to fight the social media hacks and quacks, keeping ethics, facts, and unbiased reporting alive. It hasn’t been easy, and it just became more difficult. All because of the single greatest enemy the facts and journalism have in America today.

Despicable greed, at the cost of spitting on the truth and eviscerating the very thing this country needs right now. A greed epitomized by the scion of a media family that will suckle up to any convicted felon available in order to bloat the bank account.

In a shocking move, veteran “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens handing in his resignation Tuesday, angry at being hamstrung and unable to tell stories and report on issues without interference from the glass tower. It is Owens who led the team that in recent months has hammered away at Donald Trump and his various illegalities and actions taken to make America weak again. “60 Minutes” has held Trump’s feet to the fire at a time when the Orange Menace is doing everything in his ham-fisted power to eliminate truthful journalism, the kind that with ease can uncover his alleged high crimes, petty misdemeanors, and promotion of gold lapel pins in his image. 

Bill Owens: "(60 Minutes) has to continue, just not with me as Executive Producer".

Owens, as I am told by friends and contacts at CBS, knew he was taking a big risk going after Trump, but he didn’t mind one bit. He comes from an era and a makeup that lives for such confrontations. As only the third executive producer in the 57-year history of the program, Owens never flinched and gave the green light to every solid Trump investigation, every Trump lawbreaking fact, every Trump expectoration on the Constitution, every slap in the face to America’s oldest and whiniest cry-baby.

This, of course, was no resignation. Owens was shoved out the door at the command of Paramount/CBS controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, saddled with more cash than many nations and always seeking ways to gut someone or something for more.

Everything here is laser-focused back to the moment Trump filed a billion dollar lawsuit against Paramount Global over the episode of “60 Minutes” featuring then-Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, claiming the network doctored her interview footage to make him look bad.

Harkening back to one of the greatest single movie lines in history, “a bigger crock of s*** I never heard”. Editing of interviews for time and focus has been a part of the broadcast business since editors were cutting film with razor blades and then splicing them together to make their air slot. The only thing nefarious in this entire affair is Trump, using his time-worn habit of filing lawsuits against those who have gotten the best of him, seeking to tie everything up for as long as possible until someone capitulates and he gets his way.

This move by Redstone will no doubt have the Toddler-in-Chief shaking his rattle and drooling over another batch of sauteed hamberders in celebration.

Trump wanted a head to roll, and Redstone was eager to deliver. All this MAGA Queen cares about is another fat deposit in her family bank account, journalism be damned and screwed.

Redstone is seeking federal approval for a multi-billion dollar sale of Paramount to Skydance, another family company with more money than Trump has felonies. His lawsuit against her over the Harris imbroglio can hold up the deal and keep her from swimming in more filthy lucre. By basically canning Owens, and with other heads already being lined up for the firing bowling alley, watch as she and the babbling bulls*** artist make nice, kiss each other’s rings or extremities, and cash in on the new deal.

Of course, some might think Trump will also profit from the sale. But a sitting President? Extorting money and practicing more than a little blackmail to keep funding African safaris and jet-setting for his worthless progeny? However could you even consider the possibility.

Shame on you.

Sadly, and very likely, as long as Redstone is calling the shots, this could be the end for “60 Minutes” as a program one can always trust to deliver the highest quality of journalism. The line has been drawn with the elimination of Owens, and the message has been sent to everyone else on staff from whomever is now at the helm to the summer intern punching in script tags.

Don’t f*** with Trump, or your head will be on a spike.

Could there be a saving grace in all this? If indeed Skydance finalizes the purchase of Paramount Global and CBS, perhaps integrity will return to the broadcast and what was once known as “The Tiffany Network” will shine again as a beacon of journalistic hope.

Uh huh. Sure. Gotcha. Take a seat, kid. You’re new to this kind of thing, aren’t you? You see, Skydance is led by David Ellison. He’s the son of Larry Ellison, who co-founded the software behemoth known as the Oracle Corporation.

The same Larry Ellison who has been doing deals with Trump since Donnie conned his way into the White House for the first term. Most every other tech mogul headed for the bunkers when Trump was elected, but not Ellison. He embraced the “Rotund Master of the Rip-Off”, and has been handsomely rewarded for it. It didn’t take Trump long after ascending to his throne a second time that Ellison was right there by his side, being touted as one who would assist Trump in everything and anything tech. This time around, Trump will make Ellison even wealthier.

So you really think sonny-boy David will just allow these media insects to besmirch the Fab Felon and damage the tryst between Daddy and Donnie?

Farewell, “60 Minutes”. Just when we need you most, we must prepare for your demise. And with it, perhaps the eventual collapse of anything and everything beholden to nothing but truth, facts, and uncovering the true enemies of America and the free world.

I do so hope I’m wrong.

Ed Berliner has been a broadcast journalist for more than 30 years, on the air and at the helm of 6 cable networks and 4 radio networks. He currently delivers his opinions on “Substack”, is a veteran technical advisor for feature films, hosts a pair of successful podcasts including “The Fastest Show in Sports”, and is the CEO of “Fuzzy Dogs Productions”.