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Stephen Colbert Goes On A Major Rant Against His Own Network
At the risk of reigniting too much political talk here, this story is simply astounding and a sign of how bad things have become for broadcasters down south. And I'm posting it only because it relates to the current state of American TV.
On his show Monday night, the already cancelled Stephen Colbert revealed his own network ordered him not to have on a guest that might raise the ire of the FCC and the White House. Not only that, they threatened him not to even talk about it or mention it at all.
But with his show now a lame duck after being cancelled, he had nothing to lose. So he went off against what he sees as government overreach - and his soon to be ex-bosses.
An extraordinary moment on American television. And good for him. This is unconscionable!
Stephen Colbert Goes Scorched-Earth On CBS, Reveals What He Was Told Not To Mention
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Here is his monologue. If you've ever wondered why radio and TV stations pull a personality off air once they're let go but still have time left on their contract, this is a classic example.
I've never been a huge Colbert fan, but this is a remarkable moment on network TV and something you won't see very often.
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Thread Starter- 67GreenRambler
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Re: Stephen Colbert Goes On A Major Rant Against His Own Network
He has no audience and threw away any legacy of soundness.
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Re: Stephen Colbert Goes On A Major Rant Against His Own Network
It still took courage to do what he did and I suspect it's getting a lot of attention even from non-regular viewers online the day after. Not since Jack Paar walked off the Tonight Show in 1960 or the Smothers Brothers defied CBS in the late 60s, can I recall anything quite like this on a network TV show. Agree with him or not, that's what makes it so interesting and historic. And why I mentioned it here.
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Thread Starter- DX
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Re: Stephen Colbert Goes On A Major Rant Against His Own Network
67GreenRambler wrote:
He has no audience and threw away any legacy of soundness.
The linked click-bait article gives a distorted picture by fixating on historical 18-49 broadcast ratings. In a continuing trend, Gen Y and Gen Z are not big watchers of the broadcast versions of late-night shows and tend to do their watching through the YouTube or other social media highlight reels, with the more sticky Boomers and Gen X making up most of their broadcast audiences.
In reality, Colbert still leads overall late-show broadcast viewership, as he has for years. In January Kimmel, who gained a Trump bump from his suspension last fall, managed to edge out Colbert in the demographic but in past months Colbert has typically led 18-49. Fallon, with the show content that's arguably most geared to 18-49, actually continues to trail in the demo.
One can argue that Gutfeld! on Fox News Network has been the late night leader for several years now, but he is in a 10 p.m. slot and his format is really a political panel/comedy crossover show. Even at that, Gutfeld! barely leads Colbert in overall viewership and trails Colbert in the demo.
Where Colbert's audience goes after the show ends in May will be interesting.
The Latenighter offers the full picture of the January late-night ratings:
Last edited by DX (February 17, 2026 12:31 pm)
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Re: Stephen Colbert Goes On A Major Rant Against His Own Network
If (when) Colbert ends up on a streaming service, he'll leave the broadcast shows in the dust.
- torontostan
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If (when) Colbert ends up on a streaming service, he'll leave the broadcast shows in the dust.
He's probably the only late-night talker who could make a streaming show work. All other talk shows on streaming have failed from what I can remember
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CBS has issued a statement of its own, contradicting Colbert's version of events.
CBS Says ‘The Late Show’ Was “Not Prohibited” From Broadcasting James Talarico Interview
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Thread Starter- Binson Echorec
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Re: Stephen Colbert Goes On A Major Rant Against His Own Network
He has no audience and threw away any legacy of soundness.
The linked click-bait article gives a distorted picture by fixating on historical 18-49 broadcast ratings. In a continuing trend, Gen Y and Gen Z are not big watchers of the broadcast versions of late-night shows and tend to do their watching through the YouTube or other social media highlight reels, with the more sticky Boomers and Gen X making up most of their broadcast audiences.
In reality, Colbert still leads overall late-show broadcast viewership, as he has for years. In January Kimmel, who gained a Trump bump from his suspension last fall, managed to edge out Colbert in the demographic but in past months Colbert has typically led 18-49. Fallon, with the show content that's arguably most geared to 18-49, actually continues to trail in the demo.
One can argue that Gutfeld! on Fox News Network has been the late night leader for several years now, but he is in a 10 p.m. slot and his format is really a political panel/comedy crossover show. Even at that, Gutfeld! barely leads Colbert in overall viewership and trails Colbert in the demo.
Where Colbert's audience goes after the show ends in May will be interesting.
The Latenighter offers the full picture of the January late-night ratings:
I'm willing to bet the bulk of the 18-49 demo that watches these shows on linear television is actually somewhere between 40-49. I'm mid-GenX so I'm above that 40-49 age range and aside from news channels and Jeopardy!, I don't watch much traditional TV at all. Those gens younger than I are even less likely to have a relationship with traditional media.
I also fail to see ratings results being a legitimate reason for government oversight. Ratings have never been nor will ever be a reliable measurement of quality.
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Re: Stephen Colbert Goes On A Major Rant Against His Own Network
The war of words between the host and his network continues, as Colbert responds to CBS' response to his first monologue. Another remarkable on-air rant.
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Thread Starter- Chrisphen
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Re: Stephen Colbert Goes On A Major Rant Against His Own Network
Why can't CBS conduct their censorship with discretion, like CFRB?
- paterson1
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Funny how the FCC doesn't seem to worry about equal time on all of the 24/7 conservative talk radio stations in the US.
And of course, this also never comes up with FOX News Network, Newsmax or One America News Network. Oh, but they are cable...the same rules don't apply. What a stupid system.
The FCC sticking their nose into the direction of news programming actually makes the CRTC look good.
- Saul
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Funny how the FCC doesn't seem to worry about equal time on all of the 24/7 conservative talk radio stations in the US.
And of course, this also never comes up with FOX News Network, Newsmax or One America News Network. Oh, but they are cable...the same rules don't apply. What a stupid system.
The FCC sticking their nose into the direction of news programming actually makes the CRTC look good.
Right now it's more overtly political than ever. These are not 'normal' times. Normally, news would not get FCC interference.
- Dave The OTA guy
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The rule only applies to broadcast stations.
- paterson1
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The rule only applies to broadcast stations.
The chairman of the FCC only seems to be concerned with late night talk, and The View for equal time. Why is he not concerned about equal time for the many all conservative talk radio broadcast stations in the US?
Cable news gets a free pass since they do not broadcast over the air. They are free to outright lie or become a mouthpiece for one point of view or party. Even though the cable news networks have more influence for news than the OTA networks, the FCC is powerless to do anything if they are caught intentionally misleading or lying to the viewer. Stupid system, it isn't 1952 anymore.
The regulations pertaining to misleading or false advertising applies to cable, and there are monetary consequences. So why not news?
- Saul
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The chairman of the FCC only seems to be concerned with late night talk, and The View for equal time. Why is he not concerned about equal time for the many all conservative talk radio broadcast stations in the US?
...
Because Conservative talk radio is spouting the Party line. Funny that the Reagan Admin did away with the Fairness Doctrine. But that doesn't matter. Trump is the law.
- mace
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Re: Stephen Colbert Goes On A Major Rant Against His Own Network
He has no audience and threw away any legacy of soundness.
The linked click-bait article gives a distorted picture by fixating on historical 18-49 broadcast ratings. In a continuing trend, Gen Y and Gen Z are not big watchers of the broadcast versions of late-night shows and tend to do their watching through the YouTube or other social media highlight reels, with the more sticky Boomers and Gen X making up most of their broadcast audiences.
In reality, Colbert still leads overall late-show broadcast viewership, as he has for years. In January Kimmel, who gained a Trump bump from his suspension last fall, managed to edge out Colbert in the demographic but in past months Colbert has typically led 18-49. Fallon, with the show content that's arguably most geared to 18-49, actually continues to trail in the demo.
One can argue that Gutfeld! on Fox News Network has been the late night leader for several years now, but he is in a 10 p.m. slot and his format is really a political panel/comedy crossover show. Even at that, Gutfeld! barely leads Colbert in overall viewership and trails Colbert in the demo.
Where Colbert's audience goes after the show ends in May will be interesting.
The Latenighter offers the full picture of the January late-night ratings:
I'm willing to bet the bulk of the 18-49 demo that watches these shows on linear television is actually somewhere between 40-49. I'm mid-GenX so I'm above that 40-49 age range and aside from news channels and Jeopardy!, I don't watch much traditional TV at all. Those gens younger than I are even less likely to have a relationship with traditional media.
I also fail to see ratings results being a legitimate reason for government oversight. Ratings have never been nor will ever be a reliable measurement of quality.
True. ABC's "Jiggle TV" from the 70's [Three's Company, Charlie's Angels] were nice to look at, were huge ratings hits with America but weren't terribly humourous or compelling.