Trump Celebrates Colbert's Ouster at Hands of CBS Owners Aligned with His Admin

Stephen Colbert ended an 11-year run as host of The Late Show on CBS, removing a prominent critic from broadcast television. The cancellation followed Colbert’s criticism of CBS agreeing to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by President Trump. CBS parent Paramount sought Trump administration approval for a merger with Skydance, which was approved one week after CBS announced Colbert’s ouster. Trump’s FCC chair Brendan Carr publicly celebrated attacks on media critics and the defunding of PBS and NPR. Paramount Skydance then pursued another megamerger with Warner Bros. Discovery, increasing concentration of media control among billionaire interests with longstanding support for Trump.

"“We see this over and over again, where the Trump administration is weaponizing its power over mergers to try to get what it wants in the media space,” says David Sirota, editor-in-chief of The Lever and host of the Master Plan podcast."

"Late-night comedian Stephen Colbert has ended his 11-year run as host of The Late Show on CBS. His program's cancellation removes one of President Trump's most vocal critics from the airwaves and comes after the comedian criticized his own employer for agreeing to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by President Trump."

"The settlement came as CBS parent company Paramount was seeking the Trump administration's approval for a merger with Skydance, which the Trump administration approved just one week after CBS announced Colbert's ouster. Trump's FCC Chair Brendan Carr has openly gloated about the administration's attacks on critics in the media and the defunding of outlets like PBS and NPR, which no longer receive federal money."

"Meanwhile, Paramount Skydance is seeking another megamerger with Warner Bros. Discovery, which would further concentrate media control in the hands of the billionaire Ellison family that has a long history of supporting Trump."

Read at Truthout