Source: The Guardian
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has requested that New York State Attorney General Letitia James launch an investigation into Paramount following its politically motivated and scandalous decision to cancel "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert."
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has requested that New York State Attorney General Letitia James launch an investigation into Paramount following its politically motivated and scandalous decision to cancel "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert."
In a strong statement issued on Friday, both the Writers Guild of America East and the Writers Guild of America West expressed their concerns and asked for an inquiry into "potential wrongdoing" by Paramount, which announced the cancellation of the show on Thursday.
The unions highlighted Paramount's recent decision to settle what it termed a "baseless lawsuit" filed by Donald Trump against "60 Minutes" and CBS News for $16 million. Trump claimed that CBS News had misleadingly edited an interview with Kamala Harris during the presidential campaign last fall.
Referencing the California State Senate's inquiry into Paramount's settlement with Trump as a precedent, the unions stated, “Given Paramount’s recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that the cancellation of 'The Late Show' is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to gain favor with the Trump administration as the company seeks merger approval.”
The statement continued, “Cancellations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society. Paramount’s decision comes amid relentless attacks on a free press by President Trump, characterized by lawsuits against CBS and ABC, threats of litigation against media organizations that provide critical coverage, and the unconscionable defunding of PBS and NPR.”
The unions urged Attorney General James to investigate, noting her history of prosecuting Trump for illegal business practices. They called on elected leaders to hold those responsible accountable, seek answers regarding why this beloved program was canceled, and ensure the public that Colbert and his writers were not censored due to their political views or the whims of the president.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s office indicated that they are monitoring the situation.
The cancellation followed Colbert’s on-air denunciation of Paramount’s settlement as a “big fat bribe” earlier in the week. He added, “As someone who has always been a proud employee of this network, I am offended. I don’t know if anything—anything—will repair my trust in this company. But just taking a stab at it, I’d say $16 million would help.”
Jon Stewart, who works for Comedy Central (also owned by Paramount), echoed Colbert's disapproval, describing the settlement as "shameful" and expressing concern for the internal impact on people who pride themselves on good journalism.
Following Paramount's announcement, several lawmakers expressed skepticism regarding the cancellation. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted, "CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after he called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16 million settlement with Trump—a deal that looks like bribery."
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders added, "CBS’s billionaire owners pay Trump $16 million to settle a bogus lawsuit while trying to sell the network to Skydance. Stephen Colbert, an extraordinary talent and the most popular late-night host, criticizes the deal. Days later, he’s fired. Do I think this is a coincidence? NO."
In a statement released Thursday evening, CBS executives claimed that the decision to cancel the show was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," asserting that it was "not related in any way to the show’s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount."
The unions highlighted Paramount's recent decision to settle what it termed a "baseless lawsuit" filed by Donald Trump against "60 Minutes" and CBS News for $16 million. Trump claimed that CBS News had misleadingly edited an interview with Kamala Harris during the presidential campaign last fall.
Referencing the California State Senate's inquiry into Paramount's settlement with Trump as a precedent, the unions stated, “Given Paramount’s recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that the cancellation of 'The Late Show' is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to gain favor with the Trump administration as the company seeks merger approval.”
The statement continued, “Cancellations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society. Paramount’s decision comes amid relentless attacks on a free press by President Trump, characterized by lawsuits against CBS and ABC, threats of litigation against media organizations that provide critical coverage, and the unconscionable defunding of PBS and NPR.”
The unions urged Attorney General James to investigate, noting her history of prosecuting Trump for illegal business practices. They called on elected leaders to hold those responsible accountable, seek answers regarding why this beloved program was canceled, and ensure the public that Colbert and his writers were not censored due to their political views or the whims of the president.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s office indicated that they are monitoring the situation.
The cancellation followed Colbert’s on-air denunciation of Paramount’s settlement as a “big fat bribe” earlier in the week. He added, “As someone who has always been a proud employee of this network, I am offended. I don’t know if anything—anything—will repair my trust in this company. But just taking a stab at it, I’d say $16 million would help.”
Jon Stewart, who works for Comedy Central (also owned by Paramount), echoed Colbert's disapproval, describing the settlement as "shameful" and expressing concern for the internal impact on people who pride themselves on good journalism.
Following Paramount's announcement, several lawmakers expressed skepticism regarding the cancellation. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted, "CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after he called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16 million settlement with Trump—a deal that looks like bribery."
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders added, "CBS’s billionaire owners pay Trump $16 million to settle a bogus lawsuit while trying to sell the network to Skydance. Stephen Colbert, an extraordinary talent and the most popular late-night host, criticizes the deal. Days later, he’s fired. Do I think this is a coincidence? NO."
In a statement released Thursday evening, CBS executives claimed that the decision to cancel the show was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," asserting that it was "not related in any way to the show’s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount."
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