By WPS.News Staff
Published: July 18, 2025

This is a special report about the actions taken by CBS Television announced on July 17, 2025. It follows our concerns about free speech in the USA, Trump’s far-reaching vindictive tactics, and the lack of courage shown by the CBS executives and shareholders. Truly, they are trying to normalize the tyrannical overthrow of the USA by the fascists. This is a sad note. In the history of CBS, they stood against Hitler in the dark days of WWII when the Nazis indiscriminately bombed Britain before the USA entered the war.

CBS announced on July 17 that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end in May 2026, concluding a nine-year run that has consistently dominated late-night ratings. Despite Colbert leading the timeslot with an average of over two million nightly viewers, the network cited rising production costs as the primary reason for ending the franchise (Andreeva, 2025).

Colbert, who reportedly learned of the decision only a day before the public announcement, shared the news with his audience during a live taping. The studio audience responded with audible shock and booing, underscoring the unexpected nature of the cancellation (White, 2025).

The move comes at a time when Colbert remains one of the most visible late-night critics of former President Donald Trump and the Project 2025 agenda. Since taking over the show in 2015, Colbert has become known for sharp political satire and commentary, frequently targeting authoritarian trends in U.S. politics.

While CBS maintains the decision was strictly financial, some observers point to the network’s prior legal entanglements with Trump as a potential influence. In 2023, CBS settled a long-standing defamation lawsuit with Trump for $16 million, drawing scrutiny over the network’s relationship with political power brokers (The Sun, 2025).

Media analysts are divided. Some view the cancellation as a routine cost-saving measure during an industry-wide contraction in traditional television. Others suggest it is part of a growing trend of corporate media sidelining outspoken political voices in favor of safer, less controversial content.

Colbert’s departure will mark the end of one of the last bastions of daily televised satire aimed at authoritarianism and right-wing extremism. His absence may leave a noticeable gap as the nation approaches another contentious election cycle.

CBS Corporation’s headquarters is located at 51 W 52 Street, New York, NY 10019. While the network has not commented further, members of the public may choose to express their views about the cancellation at this location. Advocates of peaceful assembly note that in-person, nonviolent protest remains a constitutionally protected form of political expression under the First Amendment.

As late-night TV continues to lose ground to online media and streaming platforms, the cancellation of The Late Show reflects both an evolving entertainment landscape and a deepening cultural divide over the role of satire in political discourse.

References

Andreeva, N. (2025, July 17). CBS To End The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Eyeing May 2026 Exit. Deadline. https://deadline.com

The Sun. (2025, July 17). Late Show With Stephen Colbert Canceled in Shocking ‘Financial Decision’. https://www.the-sun.com/tv/14746908/

White, P. (2025, July 17). Stephen Colbert Stuns Audience With On-Air Announcement of Show’s Cancellation. Variety. https://variety.com

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