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New York Post
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Keith Olbermann pours cold water on claims Colbert was fired for political reasons
Advertisement Ex-MSNBC host Keith Olbermann has weighed in on whether Stephen Colbert was canceled by CBS for political reasons, throwing cold water on the theory he was axed for his criticism of Trump. 'Sorry. That's not what happened here. If it had, they wouldn't be keeping him on until next MAY,' Olbermann said in a post on X. CBS announced they'd canceled 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' Thursday, stating that the over 30-year-long franchise would come to an end in May 2026 with no subsequent host taking over following Colbert's departure. The show was previously hosted by David Letterman from 1992-2015. Advertisement Olbermann authored the post in response to an X user who posted that Colbert's firing was a sign that the United States had descended into fascism. 'We are officially at the 'pulling comedians off the air who criticize our dear leader' phase of fascism,' the user posted over a picture of the late night host. 4 Ex-MSNBC host Keith Olbermann has weighed in on whether Stephen Colbert was canceled by CBS for political reasons, casting doubt on the theory that he was axed for his criticism of Trump. @KeithOlbermann/X Following the network's announcement of Colbert's ouster, numerous left-wing politicians and journalists spoke out, alleging that the talk show host was fired for political reasons, speculating that axing Colbert – a fierce critic of President Trump – was an attempt to placate White House officials amid a pending merger between CBS' parent company Paramount and Skydance. Advertisement 'CBS's billionaire owners pay Trump $16 million to settle a bogus lawsuit while trying to sell the network to Skydance. Stephen Colbert, an extraordinary talent and the most popular late night host, slams the deal. Days later, he's fired. Do I think this is a coincidence? NO,' Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders posted on X. 'If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better,' Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., wrote on X. 4 Stephen Colbert announced the cancellation of 'The Late Show' last Thursday. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert CBS settled with President Trump after he sued the network alleging election interference over a '60 Minutes' interview with his 2024 opponent former Vice President Kamala Harris which he alleged was deceptively edited. Advertisement A clip from the interview, in which Harris was asked about the war in Gaza, was released on 'Face the Nation' prior to the '60 Minutes' broadcast and featured the former VP delivering an answer that was widely derided as 'word salad.' When the interview was finally broadcast, a different, more concise response was swapped in its place. 4 New York Post cover for Saturday, July 19th, 2025. csuarez CBS, however, claimed that 'The Late Show's' cancellation was due to financial reasons, saying the show lost some $40 million a year. Colbert is No. 1 in the late night timeslot among network talk show hosts (though he regularly comes behind Fox's Gutfeld), averaging around 2.4 million viewers per episode. Overall viewership for late night talk shows has steadily declined in recent years, leading to a decrease in total ad revenues. Colbert was tapped to host the 'Late Show' following Letterman's retirement after he hosted the widely acclaimed 'Colbert Report' on Comedy Central. 4 The Ed Sullivan Theater, where the 'Late Show' is recorded live, stands in midtown Manhattan on July 18, 2025 in New York City. Getty Images Upon taking the reins of the franchise, Colbert eschewed the well-known formula of hosting a show that appeals to the broadest swath of Americans, opting instead for a highly partisan, Trump-critical program. Advertisement Fox News Digital has reached out to CBS for comment. When former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election, Colbert popped champagne on air and danced, proclaiming his joy in the election result. 'Ladies and gentlemen, Joe Biden did it! He's our next president! I'm so happy!' he proclaimed, adding that he cried tears of joy upon learning Trump would no longer be president.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Colbert is latest casualty of late-night TV's fade-out
LATE-NIGHT television had been fighting for its survival even before "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" was cancelled this week. The announced end of one of the most popular broadcast late-night shows, days after host Stephen Colbert accused the network owner of bribing President Donald Trump to approve a merger, drew cries of political foul play from liberal politicians, artists and entertainers. "Stephen Colbert, an extraordinary talent and the most popular late-night host, slams the deal. Days later, he's fired. Do I think this is a coincidence? NO," Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent, wrote on X. CBS executives said in a statement that dropping the show was "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." Whether or not politics were at play, the late-night format has been struggling for years, as viewers increasingly cut the cable TV cord and migrate to streaming. Younger viewers, in particular, are more apt to find amusement on YouTube or TikTok, leaving smaller, ageing TV audiences and declining ad revenues. Americans used to religiously turn on Johnny Carson or Jay Leno before bed, but nowadays many fans prefer to watch quick clips on social media at their convenience. Advertising revenue for Colbert's show has dropped 40 per cent since 2018 - the financial reality that CBS said prompted the decision to end "The Late Show" in May 2026. One former TV network executive said the programme was a casualty of the fading economics of broadcast television. Fifteen years ago, a popular late-night show like "The Tonight Show" could earn US$100 million a year, the executive said. Recently, though, "The Late Show" has been losing US$40 million a year, said a person briefed on the matter. The show's ad revenue plummeted to US$70.2 million last year from US$121.1 million in 2018, according to ad tracking firm Guideline. Ratings for Colbert's show peaked at 3.1 million viewers on average during the 2017-18 season, according to Nielsen data. For the season that ended in May, the show's audience averaged 1.9 million. Comedians like Colbert followed their younger audiences online, with the network releasing clips to YouTube or TikTok. But digital advertising did not make up for the lost TV ad revenue, the source with knowledge of the matter said. The TV executive said reruns of a hit prime-time show like "Tracker" would leave CBS with "limited costs, and the ratings could even go up." "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" is just the latest casualty of the collapse of one of television's most durable formats. When "The Late Show" host James Corden left in 2023, CBS opted not to hire a replacement. The network also cancelled "After Midnight" this year, after host Taylor Tomlinson chose to return to full-time stand-up comedy. But the end came at a politically sensitive time. Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS, is seeking approval from the Federal Communications Commission for an US$8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media. This month Paramount agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump over a "60 Minutes" interview with his 2024 Democratic challenger, Kamala Harris. Colbert called the payment "a big fat bribe" two days before he was told his show was cancelled. Many in the entertainment industry and Democratic politicians have called for probes into the decision, including the Writers Guild of America and Senator Edward Markey, who asked Paramount Chair Shari Redstone whether the Trump administration had pressured the company. Paramount has the right to fire Colbert, including for his political positions, Markey said, but "if the Trump administration is using its regulatory authority to influence or otherwise pressure your company's editorial decisions, the public deserves to know." A spokesperson for Redstone could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday night. "It's a completely new world that artists and writers and journalists are living in, and it's scary," said Tom Nunan, a veteran film and TV producer who is co-head of the producers programme at UCLA's School of Theatre, Film and Television. "When the news came in about Colbert, we were shocked but not surprised."
New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
CBS canned ‘The Late Show' over tens of millions in financial losses annually — not Stephen Colbert's politics: sources
CBS brass say they pulled the plug on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' because of its punishing losses — pegged between $40 million and $50 million a year — and claim politics had nothing to do with it, The Post has learned. The 61-year-old host got canned just days after he took a dig at the Tiffany Network over its $16 million settlement with Donald Trump over a controversial '60 Minutes' interview with Kamala Harris as the network's parent Paramount negotiates with the Trump administration regulatory approval for its $8 billion sale to independent studio Skydance. 'I am offended, and I don't know if anything will ever repair my trust in this company,' Colbert said of the truce in his Monday night monologue. 4 Stephen Colbert announces the cancellation Of 'The Late Show.' The Late Show with Stephen Colb 'But just taking a stab at it, I'd say $16 million would help.' 'Gets no advertising' But scathing jokes at the expense of CBS brass wasn't the problem, according to insiders. Instead, the network's bosses could no longer stomach the fact that Colbert has been plagued with an increasingly dire shortage of advertisers. That's despite Colbert's No, 1 ratings in his time slot and his status as a key face for the Tiffany Network. In the end, Paramount's co-CEO George Cheeks decided to kill the show, sources said. 'Colbert gets no advertising and late night is a tough spot,' said a person with direct knowledge of CBS's decision. 'Colbert might be No. 1, but who watches late night TV anymore?' Some Democrats voiced suspicion, citing the host's left-wing leanings and CBS owner Paramount's urgent need to gain an OK from the Trump administration for the merger with Skydance, the Hollywood studio behind the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise. 4 People walk past the Ed Sullivan Theater, where 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is taped, in New York. AP 'CBS canceled Colbert's show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump — a deal that looks like bribery,' lefty Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote on X. 'America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.' Skydance CEO David Ellison is the son of Donald Trump pal and tech billionaire Larry Ellison. As The Post first reported, CBS just paid $16 million to Trump and has agreed to run millions of dollars more in MAGA-friendly ads to settle the president's lawsuit alleging that '60 Minutes' deceptively edited its 2024 interview with Kamala Harris to make her look better. Trump, meanwhile, celebrated Colbert's canning in a Friday morning post on Truth Social. 'I absolutely love that Colbert got fired,' the president wrote. 4 Stephen Colbert arrives for the Saturday Night Live 50: The Anniversary Special at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, U.S., February 16, 2025. REUTERS 'His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!' Fervent denials But despite Ellison's Trump ties, sources said Skydance and its partners at Redbird Capital — the private equity firm that will help run CBS once the deal is cleared — only heard the news of the show's impending cancellation just before it was announced late Thursday. 'Skydance had nothing to do with this,' one person close to the decision said. 'Colbert loses $40 million to $50 million a year, so George Cheeks just decided to pull the plug.' The show's dominance in its time slot belies sharp declines in viewership as younger viewers move away from traditional TV. 'The Late Show' boasts nearly 2 million total viewers and 200,000 viewers in the key 25-24 'demo' — making it No. 1 in its time slot. Nevertheless, that's a sharp decline versus the numbers it racked up in its heyday. The ad data firm Guideline estimates that CBS's late-night shows together drew $220 million in ad revenue in 2024 — just half the $439 million they drew in 2018. RedBird's Jeff Shell, the former head of NBCUniversal who will run the network once the deal is done, has been crunching the numbers and finding that CBS is a 'melting ice cube' with its losses and cost overruns, a source said. 4 The Ed Sullivan Theater, where the 'Late Show' is recorded live, stands in midtown Manhattan on July 18, 2025, in New York City. Getty Images 'Truth-based' turn The plan is to enhance CBS Sports and invest in 'truth-based' news at a network that conservatives have long ripped for its alleged liberal bias. A Paramount spokesman declined to comment and would not deny that massive losses were tied to the show's cancellation. Trump's lawsuit was impeding the approval of the deal by the Trump Federal Communications Commission. The Post has learned that Ellison is now telling people that with the lawsuit settled the Skydance-Paramount deal will get FCC approval by mid-August. While Ellison is predicting imminent regulatory approval, it will come at a cost: FCC chairman Brendan Carr is likely to demand conditions to remedy what he believes is left-wing news bias in programming that violates agency 'public interest' rules that govern local broadcasting as opposed to cable.
NBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Here's the Scoop: CBS' decision to end "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert"
CBS has announced that "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" will come to an end. "Here's the Scoop" Host Yasmin Vossoughian speaks with Late Night Historian and Author Bill Carter, about the decision.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Jimmy Kimmel irate over Colbert cancellation, criticizes CBS ending 'Late Show'
The entertainment world is reacting in shock to CBS canceling its late night talk show "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." After Colbert announced the news on his show late Thursday, July 17, Hollywood expressed confusion around the move and support for Colbert, who will be leaving his post after more than a decade at "The Late Show" in 2026. Jimmy Kimmel, a longtime friend of Colbert, reshared the comedian's announcement on his Instagram stories, and the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" host didn't hold back in his reaction. "Love you Stephen," Kimmel wrote, going on to seemingly mock the network for favoring safe sitcoms with a choice expletive. "(Forget) you and all your Sheldons CBS." 'Late Show with Stephen Colbert' to end next May: 'This is all just going away' Actor and producer Ben Stiller, a regular guest on Colbert's show, tweeted: "Sorry to hear @CBS is canceling one of the best shows they have. Wishing all the people who work so hard on that show all the best." And in the comments of Colbert's announcement on Instagram, stars including Adam Scott, Katie Couric and Jon Batiste shared support. "Love you Stephen," replied Scott. "I for one am looking forward to the next 10 months of shows." Couric, a former "CBS Evening News" anchor, inquired for more details. "I am so upset about this. I need more information. We love you." Stephen Colbert announces end of 'The Late Show.' See what he said. In a statement from Paramount Global, CBS' parent company, the 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." Paramount Global agreed on July 1 to a controversial $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump over a defamation lawsuit tied to a "60 Minutes" interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. The settlement was widely criticized as a financial concession to facilitate the studio's pending sale to Skydance Media, which requires regulatory approval from the Trump administration. Another regular "Late Show" guest, Batiste, shared kind words: "The greatest to ever do it." As did Judd Apatow. "My admiration and appreciation for you is bottomless," the director wrote. "Excited to see what other brilliance you put into the world." Contributing: Bryan Alexander
