Stephen Colbert took center stage on the “Late Show” this month, closely following CBS owner Paramount’s legal deal with President Trump. This has drastically affected the media conglomerate’s upcoming merger, which he humorously masked with some crude pee-related jokes.
Upon David Ellison’s contract with Skydance Media, Colbert whimsically dubbed himself “Pee-Sky,” hoping to influence Paramount’s stock symbol transition from Para to PSKY.
“I’m genuinely excited about what’s happening at Paramount,” he mentioned during Monday night’s show.
Colbert joked, “We expect PSKY to become a top contender. PSKY: it’s like a cozy entertainment pitcher,” referencing the merger with a light heart.
On the flip side, CBS contends that canceling “Late Show” was simply a financial call amidst a demanding late-night climate.
Some critics are infuriated, claiming the network’s moves, particularly in firing Colbert, are attempts to placate Trump following a $16 million settlement linked to a contentious “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris.
Recently, the FCC cleared Paramount’s $8.4 billion sale to Skydance, concluding a protracted process just after Colbert’s cancellation announcement.
Before the deal’s approval, Skydance assured it would ease DEI policies on CBS and appoint a Media Bias Ombudsman to monitor the network’s operations.
Colbert quipped about the delays, noting, “After months in limbo, the deal finally got a green light from the FCC chairman. Brendan Carr was even labeled as ‘liquid sex’ by an overly handsome man,” as he displayed Carr’s image on screen.
Colbert nodded to recent comments from Trump’s social media account where he criticized NBC and ABC directly.
In one post, Trump remarked, “Wow, NBC has lost nearly 28% of its viewers this year. Their programming? Dreadful. Management? Even worse. They’re just puppets for the Democrats and need to be held accountable. Also, can you believe fake news ABC?”
In another, he insisted, “Networks shouldn’t serve as political tools for the Democrats. Personally, I think their licenses should be revoked.”
Colbert, who has hosted “Late Show” for roughly ten years, chatted with his fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon about the situation.
“It feels pretty warm for all of PSKY,” Colbert quipped.
Last week, Colbert underscored the financial strain on Paramount, recalling layoffs that affected thousands of employees.
“Last year, they let go of 2,000 employees and trimmed even more this past month,” he noted.
In confirmation of an exclusive report, Trump hinted that he anticipates $20 million in advertisements and public service announcements from Skydance, which could sum up to a total of $36 million in settlement costs, claiming a significant influence over Paramount.
“We’ve cut a lot of jobs and handed a whopping 36 million to a guy associated with a crocodile camp. If that’s true, CBS might be heading for moral bankruptcy, and who knows, maybe even financial bankruptcy,” he added.
