Writer's union calls for investigation into CBS axing Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show'
Colbert announced the shocking late-night shakeup during his show on July 17, revealing the network is ending the show in 2026. Now, the Writers' Guild of America has released a statement questioning and criticizing the decision, calling for New York and California officials to investigate the cancellation.
Paramount Global, CBS' parent company, called the move "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount."
The WGA pushed back on that assertion. "Cancelations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society," the statement from the Writers Guild of America East and Writers Guild of America West said.
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The WGA statement references Paramount's settlement with President Donald Trump earlier this month, in which Paramount Global agreed on July 1 to a controversial $16 million settlement with the president over a defamation lawsuit tied to a "60 Minutes" interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
"Paramount agreed to settle a baseless lawsuit brought against '60 Minutes' and CBS News by President Trump for $16 million," the WGA said. But on the July 15 episode of the late-night show, "Colbert went on-air and called the settlement a 'big fat bribe' in exchange for a favorable decision on the proposed merger between Paramount and Skydance, a charge currently under investigation in California."
Both Colbert and Jon Stewart, a fellow late-night host whose program "The Daily Show" airs on Comedy Central, were critical of the settlement.
"Less than 48 hours later, on July 17, Paramount canceled 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' a show currently performing first in its timeslot, giving vague references to the program's 'financial performance' as the only explanation," the statement continued. During Colbert's decade-plus-long tenure at "The Late Show," the guilds said, "the show has been one of the most successful, beloved and profitable programs on CBS, entertaining an audience of millions on late night television, on streaming services and across social media."
But with what the guilds call "Paramount's recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit," the WGA "has significant concerns that 'The Late Show's' cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval."
A statement from Paramount Global executives, including co-CEO George Cheeks, stated that Colbert will not be replaced as host − the show will merely be ending. "We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire 'The Late Show' franchise at that time," the statement said. "We are proud that Stephen called CBS home."
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The writer's union again pushed back, saying that "Paramount's decision comes against a backdrop of relentless attacks on a free press by President Trump, through lawsuits against CBS and ABC, threatened litigation of media organizations with critical coverage, and the unconscionable defunding of PBS and NPR."
This week Senate Republicans Senate Republicans advanced a measure to claw back $9 billion in federal funds, hitting both foreign aid programs and public broadcasting, targeting dollars that help prop up both PBS and NPR.
The union called on New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who previously brought a high-profile lawsuit against Trump, to join California and launch an investigation into potential wrongdoing at Paramount."
"We call on our elected leaders to hold those responsible to account, to demand answers about why this beloved program was canceled and to assure the public that Colbert and his writers were not censored due to their views or the whims of the President," the WGA wrote. "In the meantime, the Writers Guild of America will support our members at 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' and across the late-night industry as they speak truth to power and we will explore all potential legal and political avenues to fight for our members in the aftermath of this decision."
Contributing: Bryan Alexander, Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY
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