Overview

• An AP-NORC survey finds only about one-quarter of U.S. adults watched a late-night talk or variety show at least monthly in the past year, while roughly six in ten saw recirculated clips.
• Clip viewing skews younger, with about 7 in 10 adults under 30 watching late-night highlights in the past year versus 56% of those age 60 or older.
• Engagement leans Democratic: just under half of Democrats report watching clips monthly, compared with about a quarter of Republicans or independents, and Democrats are more likely to watch full episodes regularly.
• The AP report notes President Donald Trump celebrated Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension and Stephen Colbert’s cancellation and called for other firings, as the FCC chair pushes to address what he describes as liberal bias at networks.
• The poll was conducted Aug. 21–25 after CBS announced Colbert’s show would end and before Kimmel’s suspension, and separate YouGov/Yahoo data cited by Statista shows Democrats broadly support hosts’ political engagement while most Republicans oppose it.