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<v Speaker 1>Callarogas shark media. On social media, Donald John Trump posted,

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<v Speaker 1>I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was

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<v Speaker 1>even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is

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<v Speaker 1>next has even less talent than Colbert. Greg Gutfeld is

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<v Speaker 1>better than all of them combined, including the more on

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<v Speaker 1>on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show. Hello,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Johnny Mack. This is the Friday afternoon bonus edition

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<v Speaker 1>of Daily Comedy News. This episode is entirely about Colbert

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<v Speaker 1>quick housekeeping. The normal episodes will come out at the

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<v Speaker 1>normal time Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and those are Colbert less,

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<v Speaker 1>although I can tell you in the Saturday morning episode,

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<v Speaker 1>I pointed out that Colbert didn't have any good monologue

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<v Speaker 1>jokes this week. I recorded that before the news dropped

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<v Speaker 1>around that I'm going to do these Colbert specific bonus episodes.

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<v Speaker 1>There will be another one of these on Saturday. There

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<v Speaker 1>will be another one of these on Sunday, and we'll

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<v Speaker 1>take it from there. For this episode, I'm going to

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<v Speaker 1>capture all the reactions. Let's start with the Writer's Guilds

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<v Speaker 1>of America. They put out a statement on July second,

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<v Speaker 1>Paramount agreed to settle a baseless lawsuit brought against sixty

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<v Speaker 1>minutes in CBS News by President Trump for sixteen million dollars.

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<v Speaker 1>On July fifteenth, during a regular show of The Late

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<v Speaker 1>Show with Stephen Colbert, Colbert went on air and called

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<v Speaker 1>the settlements a quote big fat bribe unquote in exchange

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<v Speaker 1>for a favorable decision on the proposed merger between Paramount

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<v Speaker 1>and Skydants, a charge currently under investigation in California. Less

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<v Speaker 1>than forty eight hours later, on July seventeenth, Paramount canceled

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<v Speaker 1>The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a show currently performing

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<v Speaker 1>first in its time slot, giving vague references to the

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<v Speaker 1>program's financial performance as the only explanation. For ten years,

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<v Speaker 1>the show has been one of the most successful, beloved,

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<v Speaker 1>and profitable programs on CBS, entertaining an audience of millions

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<v Speaker 1>on late night television, on streaming services, and across social media.

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<v Speaker 1>Given Paramount's recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS

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<v Speaker 1>News lawsuit, the Writer's Skill of America has significant concerns

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<v Speaker 1>that the Late Show's cancelation as a bribe, sacrificing free

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<v Speaker 1>speech to curry favor with the Trump administration as the

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<v Speaker 1>company looks for merger approval. The statement continues, cancelations are

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<v Speaker 1>part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show

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<v Speaker 1>in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure

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<v Speaker 1>is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society. Skipping ahead,

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<v Speaker 1>the Writers Guild of America calls on New York State

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<v Speaker 1>Attorney General Letitia James, no stranger to prosecuting Trump for

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<v Speaker 1>illegal business practices, to join California and launch an investigation

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<v Speaker 1>into potential wrongdoing at paramount. CBS had a statement. It reads,

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<v Speaker 1>the Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end its historic

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<v Speaker 1>run in May twenty twenty six, at the end of

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<v Speaker 1>the broadcast season. We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will

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<v Speaker 1>retire the Late Show franchise at that time. We are

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<v Speaker 1>proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast

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<v Speaker 1>will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced

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<v Speaker 1>late night television. Now, let me pick that statement apart. Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>so why are you bringing up if this is about finances,

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<v Speaker 1>why are you saying we consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable. Stephen

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<v Speaker 1>Colbert is replaceable. David Letterman was replaceable Johnny Carson was replaceable,

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<v Speaker 1>Jack Parr was replaceable. Stephen Colbert is replaceable. But if

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<v Speaker 1>you're ending the franchise over money, why you're bringing up

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<v Speaker 1>that there is no franchise with which to replace him

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<v Speaker 1>unless you're suggesting or your words are ahead of your brain,

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<v Speaker 1>and there's it was a scenario where you had the

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<v Speaker 1>Late Show without Stephen Colbert, perhaps possibly maybe who knows,

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<v Speaker 1>for political reasons that you wanted Colbert out? Maybe so

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<v Speaker 1>your deal gets through. Perhaps possibly maybe I don't know.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't work for CBS or Paramount or Skydance. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know, but we consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and we'll

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<v Speaker 1>retire the Late Show franchise at that time. Why are

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<v Speaker 1>you bringing that up? Very strange. Latenighter dot Com will

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<v Speaker 1>be a great resource during all this. Bill Carter is

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<v Speaker 1>the author of The Late Shift, quite possibly the world's

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<v Speaker 1>foremost expert in late night television. Bill Carter rights on

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<v Speaker 1>Late Night Er under the headline CBS sites costing Colbert cancelation.

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<v Speaker 1>The timing tells a different story. Bill writes. Trump has

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<v Speaker 1>a long standing animist toward Colbert. Last September, he called

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<v Speaker 1>him a complete and total loser, not funny, and all

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<v Speaker 1>caps very boring. He literally called for CBS to quote

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<v Speaker 1>terminate his contract unquote. He also has a history of

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<v Speaker 1>threatening the licenses of broadcast networks with late night hosts

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<v Speaker 1>who make fun of him. That didn't face Colbert, who

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<v Speaker 1>has shown no signs of tempering his nightly puncturing of Trump.

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<v Speaker 1>He returned from vacation this past Monday and labeled the

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<v Speaker 1>CBS to ole to pay Trump off instead of fighting

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<v Speaker 1>the sixty minute suit a big fat bribe. For all

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<v Speaker 1>those reasons, it's hard to accept the stated reasoning behind

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<v Speaker 1>today's announcement at face value. Bill points out that at

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<v Speaker 1>the start of the twenty four to twenty five season,

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<v Speaker 1>NBC reacted to economic pressure by dropping one night of

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<v Speaker 1>The Tonight Show from five to four and eliminating the

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<v Speaker 1>band on the Seth Meyers Show. Bill Carter writes, but

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<v Speaker 1>CBS didn't try any of those cost saving moves, or

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<v Speaker 1>any cost saving moves at all. It's simply cut off

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<v Speaker 1>the franchise of the neck. It seems especially a considering

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<v Speaker 1>that CBS earlier this year had quietly renewed its twelve

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<v Speaker 1>thirty five AM show after midnight and only reversed course

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<v Speaker 1>when Taylor Thomlinson quit the show. All of which is

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<v Speaker 1>to say, as it's just a few months ago, every

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<v Speaker 1>indication was that CBS intended to maintain its two hour

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<v Speaker 1>late night block into the foreseeable future. Something happened to

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<v Speaker 1>change that. Did the cost situation become completely untenable or

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<v Speaker 1>was it Colbert's Trump centric comedy that became completely unacceptable. Separately,

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<v Speaker 1>I've seen Bill Carter quoted in the Washington Post as saying,

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<v Speaker 1>if CBS thinks for people just going to swallow this,

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<v Speaker 1>they're really deluded. Some reactions from around the internet. Joe

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<v Speaker 1>Scarborough said, it's terrible because you had the settlement with

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<v Speaker 1>Donald Trump, and then you had Colbert and John Stewart

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<v Speaker 1>criticizing that decision. Then a week later they're saying, oh, unfortunately,

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<v Speaker 1>we don't have the money to continue this. You can

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<v Speaker 1>make that economic argument, but that economic argument should have

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<v Speaker 1>been made weeks before this, or should have been made

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<v Speaker 1>a couple months down the road. This just makes it

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<v Speaker 1>look completely connected with the sixty minute settlement. Senator Elizabeth

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<v Speaker 1>Warren said CBS canceled Colbert's show just three days after

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<v Speaker 1>Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its sixteen

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<v Speaker 1>million dollars settlement with Trump, a deal that looks like bribery.

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<v Speaker 1>America deserves to know if his show was canceled for

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<v Speaker 1>political reasons. Severance actor Adam Scott posted, love you, Steven.

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<v Speaker 1>This is absolute BS and I for one, I'm looking

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<v Speaker 1>forward to the next ten months of shows. Ben Stiller

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<v Speaker 1>tweeted sorry to hear CBS is canceling one of the

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<v Speaker 1>best shows they have, wishing all the people who work

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<v Speaker 1>so hard on that show all the best. Anderson Cooper

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<v Speaker 1>on CNN said Stephen Colbert is smart, and he's funny

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<v Speaker 1>and has actual conversations with people on his program XCM

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<v Speaker 1>and reporter Jim Acosta commented on the story with the

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<v Speaker 1>image of Marsha Brady from The Brady Bunch doing the shore.

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<v Speaker 1>Jan Judd Apatow on Instagram, My admiration and appreciation for

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<v Speaker 1>you is bottomless excited to see what other brilliants who

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<v Speaker 1>put into the world. Katie Couric said, I'm so upset

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<v Speaker 1>about this. I need more information. Rachel Ziegler said, I

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<v Speaker 1>am extremely sad. I adore you, Steven. John Patiste, who

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<v Speaker 1>used to lead Colbert's band, called him the greatest to

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<v Speaker 1>ever do it. On Instagram, author Stephen King said Colbert canceled,

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<v Speaker 1>Please tell me it's a joke. Jamie Lee Curtis was

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<v Speaker 1>on the Red carpet and was asked about it, and

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<v Speaker 1>she said it's bad. They're trying to silence people. John

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<v Speaker 1>Cusack shared a clip of Stephen Colbert on social media

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<v Speaker 1>and wrote, he's not groveling enough to American fascism. Larry

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<v Speaker 1>Ellison needs his tax cuts, doesn't need comedians reminding people

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<v Speaker 1>they're not cattle. Bernie Sanders said CBS's billionaire owners paid

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<v Speaker 1>Trump sixteen million dollars to set all a Bobus lawsuit

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<v Speaker 1>while trying to sell the network to sky Dance. Stephen Colbert,

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<v Speaker 1>an extraordinary talent, the most popular late night host, slams

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<v Speaker 1>the deal. Days later, he's fired. Do I think this

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<v Speaker 1>is a coincidence? No? All caps. Andy Cohen said it's

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<v Speaker 1>a sad day for late night television. I think it's

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<v Speaker 1>a sad day for CBS. I think Stephen Colbert is

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<v Speaker 1>a singular talent. He's going to have an incredible next chapter.

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<v Speaker 1>I can't believe CBS is turning off the lights at

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<v Speaker 1>eleven thirty after the local news. I'm stunned he's one

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<v Speaker 1>of three late night shows deep worthy enough for an

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<v Speaker 1>Emmy nomination. He produces a brilliant show. Bill Burr posted

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<v Speaker 1>on thread sad news about Colbert, but I'm sure it's

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<v Speaker 1>purely a financial descis It's not like CBS whatever, cancel

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<v Speaker 1>a comedy show for political reasons, and he included an

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<v Speaker 1>image of the Smothers brothers below that. Jimmy Fallon said

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<v Speaker 1>he was just as shocked as everyone. I really thought

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<v Speaker 1>I'd ride this out with him for years to come.

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<v Speaker 1>Seth Meyers said, for as great as a comedian host

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<v Speaker 1>he is, Colbert was an even better person and joke

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<v Speaker 1>that Colbert can no longer use the excuse that he's

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<v Speaker 1>too busy to hang out. Jimmy Kimmel went on Instagram

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<v Speaker 1>and wrote, love you, Stephen, f you and all your

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<v Speaker 1>Sheldon's CBS. The New York Times writes executive stressed in

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<v Speaker 1>the announcement that the cut was purely a financial decision.

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<v Speaker 1>The Times asked, is that the truth or merely truthy?

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<v Speaker 1>They then talk about the settlements and write many legal

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<v Speaker 1>experts said the deal was an unnecessary concession and a

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<v Speaker 1>frivolous case. At minimum, it undermined one of TV journalism's

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<v Speaker 1>most accomplished independent voices, that being sixty minutes, talk show

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<v Speaker 1>hosts have bit in the hand that signs the contracts.

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<v Speaker 1>Before Lutterman needled NBC and it's then parent, General Electric.

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<v Speaker 1>But back then the issues didn't involve conflicts with a press.

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<v Speaker 1>Is it willing to pull any necessary levers to punish

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<v Speaker 1>and influence media outlets? Now? Paramount wants to assure us

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<v Speaker 1>that the cancelation of one of the president's most famous

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<v Speaker 1>critics is totally coincidentally business, and sure it absolutely could be.

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<v Speaker 1>The Independent wrote that they understand Colbert's program had become

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<v Speaker 1>costly to run over the years, and it was potentially

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<v Speaker 1>a dream on the network's bottom line, but many people

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<v Speaker 1>working at CBS don't fully believe the narrative. One senior

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<v Speaker 1>staffer at CBS told The Independent that no one at

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<v Speaker 1>the network is buying that it's a financial decision, adding

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<v Speaker 1>that the demise of the flagship left everyone stunned, including

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<v Speaker 1>famous comedians that the source said they knew. Another staffer

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<v Speaker 1>told The Independent how that they had been told the

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<v Speaker 1>show had been on the chopping block for a few

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<v Speaker 1>years because it was very expensive to produce, but at

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<v Speaker 1>the same time didn't think that was the reason for

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<v Speaker 1>the sudden announcement. A staffer said, many of us think

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<v Speaker 1>this was part and parcel of the Trump shakedown settlement.

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<v Speaker 1>USA today wonders if Colbert can't survive this this landscape,

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<v Speaker 1>it's not clear if anyone can. According to Late Nighter

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<v Speaker 1>dot Com, Late Show was leading the pack in ratings

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<v Speaker 1>with an average of two point four to one to

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<v Speaker 1>seven million viewers for the three months that in June.

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<v Speaker 1>Kimmel and Fallon were far behind, averaging one point seventy

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<v Speaker 1>seven and one point nine respectively. Well, tonight, youoent third place,

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<v Speaker 1>but discuss that at a different time. Cnn I talked

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<v Speaker 1>about the financial picture. They quote Guideline and add data

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<v Speaker 1>firm that estimates that the network at late night shows

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<v Speaker 1>earned a four hundred and thirty nine million dollars in

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<v Speaker 1>AD revenue in twenty eighteen and only two hundred and

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<v Speaker 1>twenty million in twenty twenty four, decline a fifty percent.

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<v Speaker 1>CBS had been worried about the dynamics for months, even

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<v Speaker 1>the last few years, according to two people familiar with

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<v Speaker 1>the situation, While Colbert was officially told Wednesday. Apparently, executives

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<v Speaker 1>have been talking about the costs for several weeks, now

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<v Speaker 1>holding off on final judgment to allow Stephen Colbert and

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<v Speaker 1>the staff to enjoy the July fourth hiatus. Variety says.

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<v Speaker 1>One of the sources say executives didn't want to force

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<v Speaker 1>a pay cut or call for trims, and couldn't look

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<v Speaker 1>away from declines and ad support for the entire format.

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<v Speaker 1>They point out CBS treated Colbert a lot like his predecessor,

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<v Speaker 1>Letterman wasn't always eager to take on product placement projects

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<v Speaker 1>or produce sitcoms or game shows, and CBS respected the

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<v Speaker 1>decision because of his standing. They felt the same way

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<v Speaker 1>about Colbert, and yet rivals were picking up many more

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<v Speaker 1>of these projects, like a bar sponsored by Anheuser Busch

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<v Speaker 1>and Heineken that had a prominent place on Cordon. Kimmel

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<v Speaker 1>has long embraced doing commercials in show. Fallon takes part

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<v Speaker 1>in an ad deal with Ford Motor Company. Those extras

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<v Speaker 1>help the network and make the host more of a

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<v Speaker 1>full time ambassador, according to one person familiar with the

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<v Speaker 1>mechanics of late night television. Variety points out people familiar

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<v Speaker 1>with the matter, say, the Colbert CBS relationship was never

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<v Speaker 1>a tense one, and no Colbert eagerly took on whatever

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<v Speaker 1>extra duties the network suggested. He helped launch a comedic

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<v Speaker 1>sports special built around pickleball, and took a hand in

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<v Speaker 1>producing After Midnight and promoting Taylor Tomlinson. And this is

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<v Speaker 1>very interesting. While the decision may look like blowback for

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<v Speaker 1>Colbert's commentary, executives weren't prepared to make a move in

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<v Speaker 1>May when they could have used it to win extra

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<v Speaker 1>ad support in the industry's annual upfront ad sales. More

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<v Speaker 1>and they didn't want to make it without speaking to

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<v Speaker 1>Colbert directly, something they didn't want to do while he

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<v Speaker 1>was on vacation. But they couldn't wait, say, till the

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<v Speaker 1>start of next TV season. Late night writers and producers

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<v Speaker 1>typically signed one year deals August to August. When contracts

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<v Speaker 1>tied to the twenty twenty five twenty twenty six programming

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<v Speaker 1>cycle went out to agents, they would only keep people

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<v Speaker 1>employed through May. CBS executives knew the news of the

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<v Speaker 1>decision would leak and quickly, so they had to make

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<v Speaker 1>the move. My take all right, loudly and clearly. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>on Team Colbert and all this. This is terrible. It's

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<v Speaker 1>a shame that the Late Show franchise is ending after

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<v Speaker 1>thirty years, really terrible. I like Colbert. He seems to

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<v Speaker 1>be a good guy. I've only heard great things about him,

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<v Speaker 1>never met him, But I've never seen one bad word

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<v Speaker 1>about Colbert. Of the timing, Yeah, it does seem suspicious.

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<v Speaker 1>On the other hand, I've been a longtime media executive,

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<v Speaker 1>and I'll talk about this more over the weekend. There

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<v Speaker 1>are some bonus episodes coming about this topic. If the

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<v Speaker 1>show's losing like forty million dollars a year, why wouldn't

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<v Speaker 1>you just error prices right rerun? I mean, seriously, it's

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<v Speaker 1>a busy this at the end of the day that

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<v Speaker 1>many fewer people going to watch a you know, they're

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<v Speaker 1>on a Seinfeld rerun, they're on a Big Bang Theory rerun.

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<v Speaker 1>It probably won't do all that worse. And the other one,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd have to ask everyone, when's the last time you

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<v Speaker 1>watched The Late Show with Stephen Colbert? Now, maybe for

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<v Speaker 1>you personally listener last night might be the answer. I

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<v Speaker 1>think for me, and I like the guy, and I

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<v Speaker 1>like the idea. I think, honestly, the last time I

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<v Speaker 1>watched The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was his first night.

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<v Speaker 1>It's just I don't watch. As much as I love

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<v Speaker 1>Late Night, I don't watch any of it live. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>not up at eleven thirty, and if I am, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>not watching live TV. So you know, times change. This

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<v Speaker 1>is very painful for all of us. But and again

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<v Speaker 1>I am suspicious. My spidy sense is screaming like everyone else.

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<v Speaker 1>But that aside, it's not the craziest idea to just,

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<v Speaker 1>like I said, just to air Price's right reruns. All right,

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<v Speaker 1>that is your bonus episode for Friday afternoon. Like I said,

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<v Speaker 1>normal episode in on Saturday morning. I won't talk about

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<v Speaker 1>this at all. Was already recorded before any of this

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<v Speaker 1>news break Saturday afternoon. At some point there'll be another

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<v Speaker 1>bonus episode. I'll schedule it for noon Eastern. So at

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<v Speaker 1>noon Eastern, you've got a Saturday bonus episode Sunday morning,

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<v Speaker 1>a normal Sunday episode already in the can. I won't

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<v Speaker 1>talk about Colbert at all. Sunday at noon, another bonus

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<v Speaker 1>episode about Colbert. All right, appreciate you listening.