Overview

• President Trump said he was not “solely responsible” for CBS’s July 17 decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, blaming the show’s financial losses and a “pure lack of talent.”
• CBS maintained the cancellation was a purely financial decision unrelated to the show’s political content, citing annual losses of $40 million to $50 million.
• The Writers Guild of America has called on New York Attorney General Letitia James to probe Paramount Global for potential undue influence behind the abrupt cancellation.
• The FCC approved Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance Media on July 25 following debates over a $16 million Trump settlement critics said resembled a bribe.
• Industry figures from Jay Leno to Bob Odenkirk have debated late-night’s political tone and future viability, with Odenkirk predicting Colbert will continue producing new work on other platforms.