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BumRushDaShow

(156,766 posts)
Sat Jul 19, 2025, 03:34 AM Saturday

Writers Guild calls on NY attorney general to investigate Colbert cancellation, Trump 'bribe'

Source: The Hill

07/18/25 3:56 PM ET


The Writers Guild of America East and West called on New York Attorney General Letitia James to launch an investigation Friday into why CBS canceled “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” accusing the network’s parent company of offering a “bribe” to the Trump administration.

The guild, whose members include writers for the Colbert program, asked whether the cancellation was meant to help Paramount, the owner of CBS, with President Trump.

The group noted Paramount recently reached a settlement with Trump on a lawsuit filed against CBS News. The $16 million settlement came as Paramount works to complete a megamerger with fellow Hollywood giant Skydance, a deal worth an estimated $28 billion that will need approval from Trump administration regulators to clear.

“Given Paramount’s recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Show’s cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval,” the guild wrote in a statement.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5409088-writers-guild-accuses-cbs-bribe/

6 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Writers Guild calls on NY attorney general to investigate Colbert cancellation, Trump 'bribe' (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Saturday OP
Good! If something is foul. They have the right AG in Tish James to get to the bottom of it tulipsandroses Saturday #1
Political motives is dead on arrival. The Grand Illuminist Saturday #2
Yep SickOfTheOnePct Saturday #4
Agreed. As far back as 15 years ago, I read Bill Carter's book about the Conan O'Brien Tonight Show disaster, and even Midwestern Democrat Saturday #5
I also think... SickOfTheOnePct Saturday #6
The cascade of institutions et al. bowing to Trump creates snot Saturday #3

tulipsandroses

(7,685 posts)
1. Good! If something is foul. They have the right AG in Tish James to get to the bottom of it
Sat Jul 19, 2025, 04:12 AM
Saturday

I'm sure he will resort to attacking her again.

And if Dems do take the WH. Tish James should be the AG.
None of this it would look too political bullshit! We need fearless fighters.

The Grand Illuminist

(1,842 posts)
2. Political motives is dead on arrival.
Sat Jul 19, 2025, 09:24 AM
Saturday

As political affiliation, ideology, and party are not protected classes.

SickOfTheOnePct

(7,969 posts)
4. Yep
Sat Jul 19, 2025, 03:11 PM
Saturday

And if the firing is for Trump, why didn’t they take Colbert off the air now instead of waiting 10 months?

Something may well be found, but I’m thinking that losing $40 million/year might be cause enough.

5. Agreed. As far back as 15 years ago, I read Bill Carter's book about the Conan O'Brien Tonight Show disaster, and even
Sat Jul 19, 2025, 04:29 PM
Saturday

back then television executives/producers were telling Carter that the days of the expensive late night talk show with the multimillion dollar a year host and the big costly writing staff were numbered - that the audience numbers were just no longer there to justify it.

SickOfTheOnePct

(7,969 posts)
6. I also think...
Sat Jul 19, 2025, 04:33 PM
Saturday

...and I know it will be wildly unpopular here, and that's ok, that most people who aren't living and breathing politics for the majority of their waking hours don't have any interest in hearing about politics when they're watching what is billed as entertainment.

snot

(11,207 posts)
3. The cascade of institutions et al. bowing to Trump creates
Sat Jul 19, 2025, 02:02 PM
Saturday

a death-spiral for free speech.

And so much of it is happening without significant resistance, because so many senior administrators or executives with greater integrity and foresight have been displaced by profit-obsessed toadies. I'm thinking here of the heads of universities et al. as well as media and other organizations.

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