Overview

• In a Hollywood Reporter interview on August 5, John Oliver said he would “take a hard pass” on Jay Leno’s advice to steer clear of political humor on late-night TV.
• Jay Leno told the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation that late-night hosts should aim for the widest audience by avoiding content that divides viewers.
• Oliver argued that comedy is inherently subjective and praised Last Week Tonight’s long-form segments on systemic issues that reach across political divides.
• CBS pulled the plug on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last month after reporting $40–50 million in annual losses and settling a $16 million defamation suit with President Trump while the $8.4 billion Skydance-Paramount merger remains under FCC review.
• The exchange underscores mounting concerns about editorial freedom, advertiser influence and the impact of corporate mergers on programming decisions.