Stephen Colbert Out at CBS as Trump Weaponizes Regulatory Power to Control the Media
Late-night comedian Stephen Colbert has ended his 11-year run as host of The Late Show on CBS. His programs cancellation removes one of President Trumps most vocal critics from the airwaves and comes after the comedian criticized his own employer for agreeing to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by President Trump. The settlement came as CBS parent company Paramount was seeking the Trump administrations approval for a merger with Skydance, which the Trump administration approved just one week after CBS announced Colberts ouster.
Trumps FCC Chair Brendan Carr has openly gloated about the administrations attacks on critics in the media and the defunding of outlets like PBS and NPR, which no longer receive federal money. Meanwhile, Paramount Skydance is seeking another megamerger with Warner Bros. Discovery, which would further concentrate media control in the hands of the billionaire Ellison family that has a long history of supporting Trump.