CBS says its decision to end Stephen Colbert’s late-night comedy show is financial, not political. Yet even with the ample skepticism about that explanation, there’s no denying the economics were not working in Colbert’s favor.
Trump, who has called in the past for CBS to terminate Colbert’s contract, celebrated the show’s upcoming demise. “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired,” the president wrote on Truth Social. “His talent was even less than his ratings".
As recently as 2018, broadcast networks took in an estimated $439 million in advertising revenue for its late-night programs, according to the advertising firm Guidelines. Last year, that number dwindled to $220 million.
Late-night TV was a particular draw for young men, considered the hardest-to-get and most valuable demographic for advertisers. Increasingly, these viewers are turning to streaming services, either to watch something else entirely or catch highlights of the late-night shows, which are more difficult for the networks to monetize.
There’s also a cultural shift. Many of us abhor the interviews. Why do they exist? I don’t want to hear some celebrity’s opinion about anything or how they underpaid a ghost writer to make them look literate.
Some of the interviews are really good. They’re not all celebrities. Colbert often interviews politicians, journalists, authors, etc.
Celebrity interviews are the backbone of the format though. The show borrows their name to get people to watch, which makes advertisers happy. Celebrities get a platform and audience to promote their work. Win-win. Same goes for magazines. Everything else is to entertain, but is really secondary to the first part.
Those idiot celebs, eh? What do they know?
Do you think all the interviews are with Tom Morello?