"For decades, the hosts of these shows have mocked American presidents of both parties. These jibes against the commander-in-chief have typically been treated as what they are: a normal and benign cultural ritual in a country that ostensibly takes pride in its traditions of free speech and dissent. But Trump, like all would-be authoritarians, has a thin skin and no ability to laugh at himself."
"But it's not clear they'll survive his second one-particularly because the corporations that own them keep caving to the president. In July, CBS announced it would be canceling The Late Show when host Stephen Colbert's contract expires next May. This move was clearly an attempt to propitiate Trump at a time when White House regulators were evaluating a bid by Skydance Media to purchase CBS parent company Paramount (the parent company of CBS). The bid was approved later that month."
Donald Trump resents late-night hosts and reacts strongly to mockery, exhibiting thin-skinned, reality-TV-influenced behavior and threats toward programs. Corporate owners have responded by canceling or suspending shows to curry favor with regulators and the president. CBS canceled The Late Show ahead of a regulatory review tied to a Skydance bid for Paramount, and ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel's show after controversial comments. Networks' actions illustrate a pattern of corporate capitulation that reduces critical satire and raises concerns about self-censorship and diminishing space for dissent in mainstream broadcast media.
Read at The Nation
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