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Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
ELDER: Why the Democrats are railing against Colbert's cancellation
Stephen Colbert arrives at a screening of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," during PaleyFest, April 21, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Photo by Richard Shotwell / Invision/AP CBS cancelled Stephen Colbert's late-night show. Democrat Minnesota Gov. and failed vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz, who recently appeared on the show, said, 'Stephen Colbert is the best in the business. He always told truth to power and pulled no punches. We need more of that, not less.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account You might be forgiven for thinking Colbert's job is to tell jokes. Some Democrats in full meltdown mode call the left-wing show's cancellation a casualty of CBS's attempt to curry favour with the Trump administration. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said, 'If Paramount and CBS ended The Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.' The show's writers demand that New York Attorney General Letitia James launch an investigation. For those who long ago stopped engaging in the nightly pleasure of watching late-night comedy when Johnny Carson retired and who stopped watching altogether post-Jay Leno-David Letterman, here's what just happened. CBS's parent company, Paramount, is seeking Federal Communications Commission approval for a merger. CBS called the cancellation 'purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night … not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Colbert reportedly lost $40 million last year, despite posting the highest late-night ratings of any show not hosted by Fox's Greg Gutfeld. Forty million dollars in annual losses is a lot of money, whether for Colbert or the WNBA. But in the WNBA's defence, its loss took an entire league. Colbert dropped $40 million all by himself. Since the Carson-Leno-Letterman era, late-night comedy viewership no longer prints money. At one time, Carson's show generated an estimated $50 million to $100 million in annual profits. It consistently rated number one in late night, capturing as much as 70% of that audience. One night in 1969, when performer Tiny Tim got married on the show, nearly 50 million people watched. During Carson's last week in 1992, he averaged 19 million viewers, with his final show watched by 55 million. By contrast, Colbert, in May 2025, averaged 1.9 million viewers per night, with ad revenue since 2018 down 40%. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Younger viewers spend their time on TikTok and YouTube, watching clips and streaming content when and where they want on the various social media platforms. Speaking of younger viewers, this brings us to the real reason behind the Democrats' hyperventilation over Colbert's cancellation. Twenty years ago, Pew Research found some 20% of young viewers get their 'news' from the late-night shows, particularly the monologues that nowadays serve as angry op-eds against conservatives, Republicans and especially Donald Trump. The late-night show monologues routinely disparaged Trump as dumb, racist, sexist, fascist, hateful, lying, warmongering, fat, evil, etc. Humour is a fantastic vehicle to affect views. A 2021 study conducted by the Annenberg School of Communications found 'new research suggests that humour may help keep people informed about politics … when compared to non-humorous news clips, viewers are not only more likely to share humorously presented news, but they are also more likely to remember the content from these segments.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Media Research Center found during the fall 2024 presidential campaign between Trump and Kamala Harrist hat 'hosts of the late-night 'comedy' shows (Comedy Central's The Daily Show, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, CBS's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers) told a total of 1,463 jokes about Donald Trump and Kamala Harris — but 1,428 of them were about Trump and only 35 about Harris. That's a whopping 40:1 ratio or almost 98% to 2%.' As for jokes about vice-presidential candidates Tim Walz and J.D. Vance, MRC found that 'comedians told 302 jokes about the vice-presidential candidates. Of these, 236 were directed at J.D. Vance compared to 66 at Tim Walz. That equates to a 4:1 ratio with 78% aimed at Vance.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As for guests during the fall campaign, MRC found 'the comedians also welcomed 44 liberal celebrities, journalists and political guests compared to zero conservatives. Those included one Colbert interview with Harris, two — one Kimmel and one Daily Show — with Walz and one Kimmel with (Harris' spouse) Doug Emhoff.' Any questions? Heeeere's Timmy! Read More Sports Columnists Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA
National Post
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- National Post
Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' cancelled by CBS, ends May 2026
Stephen Colbert arrives at a screening of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, during PaleyFest, April 21, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Photo by Richard Shotwell / AP CBS is axing The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in May 2026, the host told an audience at a taping Thursday. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The announcement came three days after Colbert spoke out against Paramount Global, parent company of CBS, settling with U.S. President Donald Trump over a 60 Minutes story. Colbert told the audience that he had learned the night before that 'Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending the Late Show in May.' The audience responded with boos and groans and Colbert said, 'Yeah, I share your feelings.' Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again In his monologue on Monday night, he said he was 'offended' by the US$16-million settlement reached by Paramount, whose pending sale to Skydance Media needs the Trump administration's approval. 'I don't know if anything — anything — will repair my trust in this company,' Colbert said. 'But, just taking a stab at it, I'd say $16 million would help.' He said the technical name in legal circles for the deal was 'big fat bribe.' Paramount and CBS executives said in a statement the cancellation 'is 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 most recent ratings from Nielsen show Colbert as winning his timeslot, with about 2.417 million viewers across 41 new episodes. It also said his late night show was the only one to gain viewers so far this year. And this week, The Late Show was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding talk show for the sixth time. It also won a Peabody Award in 2021. Critics of the settlement that ended Trump's lawsuit over the 60 Minutes editing of its interview last fall with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris suggested it was primarily to clear a hurdle to the Skydance sale. Colbert followed The Daily Show host Jon Stewart's attack of the Trump settlement a week earlier. Stewart works for Comedy Central, also owned by Paramount. Colbert took over The Late Show in 2015, after becoming a big name in comedy and news satire working with Stewart on The Daily Show and hosting his own Comedy Central show, The Colbert Report. He succeeded David Letterman, who began the show in 1993. Colbert's 10th anniversary as host is in September. The show has gone in a more political direction since he took it over. Alongside musicians and movie stars, Colbert often welcomes politicians to his couch.
Toronto Star
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Stephen Colbert's ‘Late Show' canceled by CBS, ends May 2026
Stephen Colbert arrives at a screening of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' during PaleyFest, April 21, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Richard Shotwell flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false :
Toronto Star
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Stephen Colbert says CBS is ending his ‘Late Show' in May 2026
Stephen Colbert arrives at a screening of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' during PaleyFest, April 21, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Richard Shotwell flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false :
Toronto Sun
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyer mocks sex trafficking case in closing, says charges 'badly exaggerated'
Published Jun 27, 2025 • 2 minute read Sean "Diddy" Combs participates in "The Four" panel during the FOX Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif., Jan. 4, 2018. Photo by Richard Shotwell / Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. NEW YORK — Sean 'Diddy' Combs was portrayed in his lawyer's closing argument on Friday as the victim of an overzealous prosecution that tried to turn the recreational use of drugs and a swinger lifestyle into a racketeering conspiracy that could put the music mogul behind bars for life. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Attorney Marc Angifilo mocked the government's case against Combs and belittled the agents who seized hundreds of bottles of Astroglide lubricant and baby oil at the hip hop impresario's properties. 'Way to go, fellas,' Agnifilo said as he began a presentation expected to last several hours. He said prosecutors had 'badly exaggerated' evidence of the swinger lifestyle and threesomes to combine it with recreational drug use and call it a racketeering conspiracy. 'He did not do the things he's charged with. He didn't do racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking,' the lawyer said. Agnifilo also called Combs' prosecution a 'fake trial' and ridiculed the notion that he engaged in racketeering. 'Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?' Agnifilo asked. 'Did any witness get on that witness stand and say yes, I was part of a racketeering enterprise — I engaged in racketeering?' No, Agnifilo argued, telling jurors that those accusations were a figment of the prosecution's imagination. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Combs' family, including six of his children and his mother, were in the audience for the closing. All his life Combs has taken care of people, Agnifilo said, including the ex-girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym Jane, whose rent he's paying. 'I don't know what Jane is doing today,' Agnifilo said. 'But she's doing it in a house he's paying for.' Referring to lawsuits filed by Combs' accusers, he said: 'This isn't about crime. It's about money. This is about money.' He noted that Combs' girlfriend of nearly 11 years _ Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura — sued him in a lawsuit that was settled for $20 million in a day in November 2023, triggering a federal probe the following day. 'If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it's hard not to pick Cassie,' Agnifilo said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Cassie and Jane both testified during the trial that they were coerced repeatedly by Combs to perform in drug-fueled dayslong sex marathons with male sex workers while Combs watched, directed, masturbated and sometimes filmed the encounters. If convicted, Combs could face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life. He did not testify during the trial that is in its seventh week. After Agnifilo completes his closing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey was expected to deliver a rebuttal summation before the judge reads the law to the jury, which is not expected to begin deliberations until Monday. Toronto Raptors Toronto Raptors Music Sunshine Girls Canada
