Jon Stewart delivered a scathing on-air rebuke of CBS and its father or mother company, Paramount Global, on Monday’s episode of “The Daily Show,” blasting the community’s determination to cancel “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and accusing executives of capitulating to political stress from President Trump.
Stewart, whose exhibits airs on the Comedy Central cable channel that is also owned by Paramount Global, cited the $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance Media as one of the components that led to the determination to axe the show, which had been hemorrhaging tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars} yearly.
Stewart, joined by NBC “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon, “Late Night with Seth Meyers” host Seth Meyers, “Daily Show” alum and HBO star John Oliver, and former “Saturday Night Live” star Adam Sandler made a cameo at the Ed Sullivan Theater where Colbert’s show is filmed and provided their support for the star.
Jon Stewart blasted father or mother company Paramount Global during his monologue on Comedy Central’s “Daily Show” on Monday. The Daily Show
Stewart delivered a scathing on-air rebuke of CBS over its determination to cancel “Late Show With Stephen Colbert.” The Daily Show
Stewart said that the merger, which is awaiting federal approval, would not have been attainable without CBS packages like “The Late Show” since it made the Tiffany Network useful as a property.
“Shows that say something, shows that take a stand, shows that are unafraid — this is not a ‘We speak truth to power.’ We don’t,” said Stewart, who last week addressed hypothesis that Colbert would be canceled.
“We speak opinions to television cameras. But we try. We f–king try, every night.”
“And if you believe, as corporations or as networks, you can make yourself so innocuous that you can serve a gruel so flavorless that you will never again be on the boy king’s radar — a.) why will anyone watch you? And you are f–king wrong,” he added.
His profanity-laden monologue culminated in a efficiency with a church choir chanting, “sack the f–k up” or “go f–k yourself.”
Because Comedy Central airs on cable, the section was uncensored and not subject to community profanity rules. Paramount and Comedy Central did not immediately reply to requests for remark.
The Post has also sought remark from Skydance and CBS.
Later that evening, Colbert also responded during his own show, echoing Stewart’s anger and directing his own “go f–k yourself” at Trump, who had celebrated the program’s cancellation.
Colbert mocked the community’s settlement with the president as a “big fat bribe” and warned, “They left me alive. And now for the next 10 months, the gloves are off.”
CBS has denied the determination was politically motivated, citing financial losses incurred by Colbert’s show. CBS
The backlash comes just days after CBS confirmed it would finish “The Late Show,” which Colbert has helmed since 2015. The community characterised the transfer as “purely a financial decision” unrelated to “performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
Despite CBS’s claims, the cancellation ignited hypothesis that the show — identified for its frequent critiques of Trump — was a casualty of Paramount’s efforts to clean regulatory approval for its merger with Skydance.
The merger, which would create the new Paramount Skydance Corporation, is still awaiting clearance from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
That course of has taken on political overtones, notably after Skydance CEO David Ellison met with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr last week and pledged to mirror “diverse viewpoints” that seize “the varied ideological perspectives of American viewers.”
Colbert’s late-night profession traces back to “The Daily Show,” where he joined Stewart in 1997. The two have maintained a close relationship since.
The determination comes amid a pending merger between Paramount and Skydance Media. Shari Redstone, controlling shareholder of Paramount, is seen above. REUTERS
In 2005, Colbert launched “The Colbert Report,” which aired after “The Daily Show” and catapulted him into late-night stardom.
On Monday’s “Daily Show,” Stewart praised Colbert’s daring determination to take on the CBS gig, calling it a leap into a world of “intense scrutiny and a vastly larger audience.”
“Watching Stephen exceed all expectations in the role and become the No. 1 late-night show on network television has been an undeniable great pleasure for me — as a viewer and as his friend,” Stewart said.
He also acknowledged the financial headwinds going through late-night TV.
“We’re all basically operating a Blockbuster kiosk inside of a Tower Records,” Stewart said. But he added that industries shouldn’t merely fold when codecs change.
“When CDs stopped selling, they didn’t just go, ‘Oh, well, music, it’s been a good run,’” he quipped.
The cancellation prompted protests outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan on Monday. REUTERS
Stewart famous that he had not heard from Paramount about the future of his own show amid the pending merger but closed with a defiant message: “This is not the moment to give in. I’m not giving in. I’m not going anywhere — I think.”
Ellison is the son of Oracle co-founder and Trump ally Larry Ellison. Though the youthful Ellison donated to Joe Biden’s marketing campaign in early 2024, Trump has since expressed support for the merger and the mixed company’s in depth belongings, including CBS, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, MTV and blockbuster franchises like “Sonic the Hedgehog” and “Smurfs.”
The late-night section adopted Paramount’s latest $16 million settlement with Trump over a lawsuit alleging CBS’s “60 Minutes” manipulated a 2024 interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris to favor Democrats.
Trump had initially demanded as much as $20 billion in damages. The president also claimed that the settlement could be as high as $35 million, though Paramount has denied this.
Skydance is led by CEO David Ellison, son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, an ally of President Trump. AFP via Getty Images
Although most legal specialists dismissed the case as missing benefit, Paramount in the end agreed to settle — masking Trump’s legal charges and earmarking the remaining funds for his future presidential library.
The settlement did not embody any admission of wrongdoing or an apology, nor were any funds paid immediately or not directly to Trump or his co-plaintiff, Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson.
As half of the deal, CBS also dedicated to releasing full written transcripts of future “60 Minutes” interviews with presidential candidates, barring legal or national security redactions.
The settlement discussions and subsequent settlement induced turmoil inside CBS News. In April, longtime “60 Minutes” editor Bill Owens resigned, citing a loss of editorial independence.
Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News & Stations, adopted swimsuit in May. In June, “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley warned that the settlement would be “very damaging” to the community’s credibility.
During Monday’s show, Colbert introduced on Lin-Manuel Miranda and “Weird Al” Yankovic to lighten the temper with a Coldplay cowl.
The show’s kiss cam featured Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, Fallon, Meyers and a cartoon Trump dancing with the Paramount brand — an obvious nod to a latest viral incident at a Coldplay live performance that resulted in a tech CEO’s resignation.