Colbert Cancellation Had Nothing to do with Skydance, Skydance Says
It’s been a few weeks since the first rumors circulated that the Skydance-Paramount merger would result in some major shake-ups. Paramount owns both CBS and Comedy Central where Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, two of Trump’s most popular critics, helm late-night shows. Within a week of the first report about this possibility, CBS axed Colbert and the entire Late Show institution. CBS cited financial reasons; almost everyone else cited Trump and the Skydance merger.
Skydance was suspected of playing a role in the Colbert cancellation because in the lead-up to the merger, Skydance owners Larry and David Ellison had already capitulated to Trump in a few other ways: They were a reportedly motivating factor in the nightmare $16 million settlement between Trump and Paramount after Trump sued 60 Minutes, and they promised Trump up to $20 million in political advertisements in a side deal.
Stewart assessed the Colbert cancellation best: “If you’re trying to figure out why Stephen’s show is ending, I don’t think the answer can be found in some smoking gun email or a phone call to CBS executives, or in CBS Quickbook spreadsheets on the financial health of late night. I think the answer is in the fear and precompliance that’s gripping all of America’s institutions at this very moment.”
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Basically, the decision to cancel Colbert wasn’t some grand conspiracy, but the path of least resistance for cowards. That didn’t stop Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Ron Wyden from sending a letter to David Ellison demanding transparency on the decision to cancel Colbert. The letter instructed Skydance to answer seven questions related to Trump’s transactions with Paramount and Skydance. “To understand the nature of any payments to President Trump, and whether these payments comply with our nation’s anti-bribery laws, we ask that you answer the following questions by August 4, 2025,” the letter stated.
It seems that Skydance has at least partially complied by August 1st. In answer to the question “Were you or other Skydance executives involved in discussions about canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert? If so, please provide information regarding the timing, nature of and participants in these discussions, including whether the pending transaction with Paramount was discussed,” Skydance General Counsel Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon said the company was not.
“Paramount did provide notice of its decision to Skydance, but only after Paramount reached its own independent decision, and shortly before Paramount publicly acknowledged the cancellation,” the response stated, per Variety.
Is Skydance telling the truth?
Who can say? If senators writing strongly worded letters is the maximum level of enforcement regarding Trump’s suspected bribery plots, there’s not much incentive to be honest.