David Letterman Accuses CBS and Paramount of ‘Pure Cowardice’ Over Colbert Show Cancellation
Former late-night host David Letterman, who created ‘The Late Show’ 32 years ago, has launched a scathing critique of CBS and Paramount for their decision to cancel Stephen Colbert’s long-running late-night program. In an appearance on his former executive producer’s podcast, ‘The Barbara Gaines Show,’ on Friday, Letterman accused the network of ‘pure cowardice’ and called their handling of the situation ‘a betrayal of free speech.’
‘This is pure cowardice,’ Letterman said during his interview. ‘They did not do the correct thing. They did not handle Stephen Colbert — the face of that network — in the way he deserves to have been handled.’
Letterman, who has not been involved with the show since its creation, questioned the network’s explanation that the cancellation was due to financial reasons. He suggested that the decision might have been linked to avoiding potential trouble with Donald Trump, citing the $16 million settlement reached between Paramount and the former president over the editing of a ’60 Minutes’ interview with Kamala Harris.
‘They decided they didn’t care about freedom of the press,’ Letterman alleged. ‘That’s the most cowardly thing you can do.’
He also expressed skepticism about the financial justification for the decision, noting that the show was reportedly losing around $40 million a year for CBS. ‘Here’s what I know. If they were losing this kind of money, you’re telling me losing this kind of money happened yesterday?
‘The Ellison twins, the Oracle boys, they don’t want any trouble along the lines of freedom of the press or free speech or freedom of expression,’ he said, referring to the founders of Skydance Media, the soon-to-be owners of Paramount. ‘They don’t want to get their hands dirty. They don’t want the government going after them.’
Letterman further speculated on how the decision may have been discussed internally, imagining a hypothetical conversation between Skydance executives and CBS leadership. ‘So they say to the CBS people, “Geez, what about that kid, Stephen Colbert? He’s always shooting his mouth off about the administration. We don’t want any trouble from that guy,”’ he said. ‘So the CBS people say, “Hey, boys, here’s what I’m going to do. Not only are we going to get rid of that guy, we’re going to get rid of the entire franchise so you don’t have to worry about another guy. It’s gone, buddy.”’
While the cancellation of ‘The Late Show’ has sparked debate within the media industry, with some critics suggesting that the decision might have been influenced by political considerations, others have argued that it was primarily a financial decision. However, Letterman’s comments have reignited discussions about the role of corporate decision-making in the media industry and the impact of political pressures on programming choices.
This controversy comes at a time when late-night talk shows are facing increasing scrutiny over their content and the influence of political figures on programming decisions. As the media landscape continues to evolve, the actions of networks like CBS and Paramount will likely remain a focal point of public and industry discussion.