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LAST UPDATE | 18 Jul
STEPHEN COLBERT’S LATE night programme on US television will come to an end next year, something that’s been celebrated by President Donald Trump.
‘The Late Show’, long a staple of late-night television in the US, was previously hosted by famed presenter David Letterman, but the cancellation will mark the end of the franchise on broadcaster CBS.
CBS said ending the show was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night”, but it’s come amid a controversy over a $16 million settlement its parent company Paramount has made with President Donald Trump.
Paramount reached the settlement this month in a lawsuit the entertainment giant described as meritless.
But Colbert, an outspoken critic of Trump, described the settlement as “a big fat bribe” on his show this week.
“Next year will be our last season,” Colbert announced on the show to boos and shouts of disbelief. “The network will be ending the show in May.”
Reacting to the news of the show’s cancellation, Trump said voiced his approval in a post on his social media site, Truth Social.
“I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings,” Trump wrote.
Political reaction has seen Democrats question the cancellation. Veteran senator Elizabeth Warren and others have raised whether it has taken place for “political reasons”, given Colbert’s past criticisms of Trump and the pressure the president has placed on CBS.
CBS appeared to reference the settlement in its statement, saying that the cancellation was “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
The company is seeking to close its $8 billion merger with the entertainment company Skydance, which needs central government approval.
Trump had sued Paramount for $20 billion, alleging that CBS News’ “60 Minutes” program deceptively edited an interview with his 2024 election rival, Kamala Harris, in her favor.
He said on Thursday the cancellation was not just the end of his show but the end of “The Late Show” franchise on CBS.
“I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away,” he said.
However, Trump’s political opponents and other critics drew attention to the timing of the decision.
“CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump — a deal that looks like bribery,” Democratic senator Warren said on social media.
“America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons,” Warren said.
CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump – a deal that looks like bribery.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) July 18, 2025
America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.
Watch and share his message. pic.twitter.com/Rz7HcWFLYM
Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who was on Colbert’s show the night he announced it would be ending, said: “If Paramount and CBS ended the ‘Late Show’ for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.”
© Agence France-Presse
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Hailo’s message to Uber:……….. Fc*k Off we don’t wan’t competition.
Hailo are supposed to be in trouble over spending and no investment so uber def spells trouble for them
The journal will literally use any opportunity to mention the gay marriage referendum. Move on.
Gay people can get married now? Gosh, that must annoy certain types of people.
I had not noticed the passing reference to the free taxi service to the polling booths for the same sex marriage equality referendum until you drew it to my attention, RoN.
Clearly you would have preferred RoN to have had the service restricted to the opponents of same sex civil marriage.
Thank you for highlighting the Marriage Equality Referendum passed by more than 68% of those who voted.
This topic deserves another separate article so that RoN can get his full rant on.
When will companies and businesses in all industries cop on that they are not in any way simply entitled to your business? If they are out flanked by someone with an innovative idea, the onus is on them to either catch up or offer more appealing innovative ideas of their own.
In theory yes but it seems that the playing field isn’t level. Essentially they are both providing the same service but uber drivers are not vetted or regulated in any way and their costs are lower, for example insurance. Also, I don’t think uber drivers are taxed.
Harry Potters real?
No, just a fictional character who looks a bit like you.
Taxi service in Atlanta is dreadful, everyone i know uses uber and they rave about its convenience, low cost etc. I personally have only used it once and it was bang on, great idea, well executed.
Uber is incredible
Ireland is not Atlanta.
We dont need Uber destroying the jobs of licensed,regulated taxi drivers.
The industry is overcrowded as it is.
They are a scourge on the face of the earth.
The authorities have a responsibility to control this form of unbridled capitalism.
Can we all do part time work as civil servants/teachers/Gardai etc. and put them out of work.?
Not likely.
I hope that Uber is launched in its full form in Ireland, allowing those with a suitable car and a clean criminal background check to apply.
I used ubers multiple times in San Diego this summer and the system works brilliantly and is very cost effective too
No Hailo app for windowsphone…but there is an Uber app, so hailo for f**k off
In the U.S. UBER HAS STARTED DOING LOGISTICS NOW, will Hailo start doing the Ambulance service now???
we only have 12 ambulances in Dublin and these are fully stretched at this time of year… if you need to get to a hospital and a DFB ambulance will be another hour, why not get help?
I can see it happening with the TiSA Agreement privatised hospitals and ambulances, Uber is involved with logistics now. So god knows what the future will bring thanks to TTIP and the Trade in Services Agreement.
Many things are run down in order to change them and the excuse is cost but getting private firms to run things always costs more as the NHS model has shown and the same is starting to happen here now…
Help is one thing but cost will be another???
Given the wages of ambulance drivers, I am sure the government would love it.!
have your say