Overview

• Stephen Colbert used his first post-cancellation episode of The Late Show to mock CBS’s financial rationale and tell President Trump to “Go f--- yourself.”
• Jon Stewart denounced CBS on The Daily Show as choosing the “path of least resistance” for its merger strategy and blamed corporate fear rather than pure economics.
• Anonymous CBS staffers say the timing of the cancellation sent a chilling message on free speech following Paramount’s $16 million settlement with President Trump.
• Despite reporting annual losses exceeding $40 million, CBS bypassed budget renegotiations and opted to end The Late Show rather than seek cost cuts.
• Late-night peers including Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver have voiced solidarity with Colbert, raising alarm over potential self-censorship in satire.