WEBVTT - Politics, Pressure or Profits, Why Was Stephen Colbert Fired? 0:00:02.200 --> 0:00:07.920 Hey, folks, it is Friday, July eighteenth. Colbert is out. 0:00:08.200 --> 0:00:11.840 The Late Show has been canceled. This is a shocker 0:00:12.160 --> 0:00:14.720 in the world of entertainment, But if you've been paying 0:00:14.760 --> 0:00:18.119 attention to late night the past few years, this is 0:00:18.280 --> 0:00:22.079 not a shocker at all. Folks of that welcome to 0:00:22.120 --> 0:00:24.560 this edition of Amy and TJ. Rooves. I guess first 0:00:24.560 --> 0:00:26.880 things first, it is I don't care what you say. 0:00:26.920 --> 0:00:29.600 You wake up to the news that the Late Show, 0:00:29.720 --> 0:00:32.800 not to just he's out, but the show is going away. 0:00:33.240 --> 0:00:34.280 That's just a shock. 0:00:34.400 --> 0:00:37.840 It's a shock because this is also the number one, 0:00:39.040 --> 0:00:42.640 the highest rated late night show of them all. Now, 0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:44.839 Jimmy Kimmel might be slightly up in the demo, but 0:00:44.880 --> 0:00:48.280 in terms of overall viewers, Stephen Colbert, The Late Show 0:00:48.320 --> 0:00:50.559 with Stephen Colbert is the number one and has been 0:00:50.600 --> 0:00:53.280 the number one late night show for quite some time. 0:00:53.640 --> 0:00:57.080 Yeah. He, I guess he found his footing. Well, was 0:00:57.080 --> 0:01:00.280 at twenty sixteen when Trump was running for Elex and 0:01:00.280 --> 0:01:02.920 all the other late night comics didn't want to touch Trump. 0:01:02.960 --> 0:01:05.760 And you go back to then when we were still 0:01:05.760 --> 0:01:08.640 getting adjusted to Trump. We're kind of comfortable now we 0:01:08.720 --> 0:01:10.760 know him, But then he was a shock to the 0:01:10.800 --> 0:01:13.480 system and people didn't want to go after him on 0:01:13.560 --> 0:01:17.520 late night. Colbert made the decision. He was after him relentlessly, 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:19.400 night after night, and you know what, he became number 0:01:19.400 --> 0:01:21.720 one and never gave it up. It's true he never 0:01:21.760 --> 0:01:24.080 gave it up. But here we are. He's still on top, 0:01:24.520 --> 0:01:28.120 has been doing his thing. So everybody wakes up like, 0:01:28.240 --> 0:01:32.240 what happened? Where is this coming from? And this has 0:01:32.280 --> 0:01:34.360 a lot to do with financials that we will get into. 0:01:34.440 --> 0:01:37.360 But Colbert was the one rhobes last night to I 0:01:37.360 --> 0:01:39.720 guess break the news to his audience. Can you imagine 0:01:39.720 --> 0:01:41.920 sitting in there, thinking you're about to watch some fun 0:01:41.959 --> 0:01:44.920 show and he starts off with this, Yeah, explains that 0:01:44.959 --> 0:01:45.680 to him. 0:01:45.440 --> 0:01:48.320 And the audience booed, and he said, I feel exactly 0:01:48.360 --> 0:01:53.360 the same way. But it was Yeah, it was totally 0:01:53.360 --> 0:01:56.040 shocking to hear him say I'm not leaving, I'm not 0:01:56.120 --> 0:02:01.280 being replaced. The show is done. It's over in May, 0:02:01.320 --> 0:02:03.600 and he talked about the two hundred people who work 0:02:03.640 --> 0:02:05.640 on the show, who loved the show, who put their 0:02:06.040 --> 0:02:09.440 heart and soul into the show. Everyone is losing their 0:02:09.560 --> 0:02:10.640 jobs May. 0:02:10.600 --> 0:02:12.640 Because that's when his contract was up. He did sign 0:02:12.720 --> 0:02:15.920 a new deal, three year deal that now is supposed 0:02:15.960 --> 0:02:17.680 to come up in May of twenty twenty six, and 0:02:17.720 --> 0:02:20.160 that is going to be it for the show. He 0:02:20.240 --> 0:02:23.160 started out with the audience last night saying, and I 0:02:23.240 --> 0:02:25.200 quote this was his statement. Next year will be our 0:02:25.280 --> 0:02:28.080 last season. The network will be ending the late show 0:02:28.120 --> 0:02:30.040 in May, not just the end of our show, but 0:02:30.200 --> 0:02:33.000 the end of the late show on CBS. I'm not 0:02:33.200 --> 0:02:37.400 being replaced, this is just going away. He went on 0:02:37.560 --> 0:02:41.519 to say, it's a fantastic job. I wish somebody else 0:02:42.000 --> 0:02:44.600 was getting it, and it's a job I'm looking forward 0:02:44.639 --> 0:02:47.200 to doing with this usual gang of idiots for another 0:02:47.200 --> 0:02:49.440 ten months. Through in a little joke there a jab 0:02:49.440 --> 0:02:51.519 at his team, But when he said that, that's something 0:02:51.560 --> 0:02:55.920 I related to, like, Yes, this is your baby and 0:02:55.960 --> 0:02:58.880 you're in charge of it right now, and you know 0:02:58.919 --> 0:03:00.440 you're going to have to let it go. You want 0:03:00.480 --> 0:03:04.200 to leave it in good hands. That's something we didn't 0:03:04.240 --> 0:03:06.280 get a chance to do. I mean, really a much 0:03:06.320 --> 0:03:08.720 different scale. But when he said that, like wow, he 0:03:08.840 --> 0:03:10.919 actually wish he was being replaced. 0:03:10.720 --> 0:03:14.920 It resonated with us because of the headlines of everything 0:03:15.000 --> 0:03:17.560 involved with GMA three too. Yes, you know you when 0:03:17.600 --> 0:03:19.639 you put your heart and soul into something like Colbert has, 0:03:19.680 --> 0:03:22.799 you wanted to continue, you wanted to thrive. When you leave, 0:03:22.880 --> 0:03:25.840 you don't want it to with her, and you certainly 0:03:25.840 --> 0:03:27.919 don't want it to die. And that's exactly what he's 0:03:27.960 --> 0:03:31.440 facing right now. And the network was very quick. CBS 0:03:31.520 --> 0:03:34.320 was very quick to point out that the decision to 0:03:34.360 --> 0:03:38.200 cancel Colbert's show was purely a financial decision. They said 0:03:38.240 --> 0:03:42.240 it was a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in 0:03:42.560 --> 0:03:44.880 late night, and they made clear they pointed out it 0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:47.520 had nothing to do with the show's performance or content 0:03:47.840 --> 0:03:52.000 or other matters happening at Paramount. Why you think they 0:03:52.040 --> 0:03:56.200 added that rogues because it it look this is it. 0:03:56.240 --> 0:03:58.400 You pointed out earlier when we first started the podcast 0:03:58.400 --> 0:04:00.760 that Stephen Colbert has been an outs spoken critic of 0:04:00.800 --> 0:04:05.440 President Trump since twenty sixteen. It was just on Monday 0:04:05.520 --> 0:04:10.080 night that Colbert pointed out this settlement that happened between 0:04:10.480 --> 0:04:16.560 President Trump and Paramount, the owner of CBS. They settled 0:04:16.560 --> 0:04:20.520 for a sixteen million dollar settlement in a lawsuit where 0:04:20.560 --> 0:04:24.320 President Trump was suing CBS over a sixteen minutes interview 0:04:24.360 --> 0:04:27.000 they did with Kamala Harris so Colbert called that settlement 0:04:27.360 --> 0:04:32.280 a big fat bribe, and he even made fun of 0:04:32.320 --> 0:04:35.040 reports out there that somehow Paramount was going to try 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:38.040 to please Trump by putting pressure on Colbert. So that 0:04:38.200 --> 0:04:41.600 was just a few nights ago, and then I believe 0:04:41.640 --> 0:04:44.640 it was two nights later, Colbert gets the call that 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:47.680 tells him not only is he out, the show is 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:49.000 done and over. 0:04:49.320 --> 0:04:52.120 It's tough to imagine that that, given all he has 0:04:52.160 --> 0:04:55.039 said over the years, that that set people off. But 0:04:55.040 --> 0:04:58.159 there's a very very sensitive time, and that timing is 0:04:58.240 --> 0:05:00.920 just a little too close. It's if they had been 0:05:00.920 --> 0:05:03.680 thinking about this for the past few weeks, I still 0:05:03.680 --> 0:05:06.760 would have waited to get some separation between him making 0:05:06.760 --> 0:05:10.400 that statement. So why that almost lends itself to the 0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:13.839 idea that this was in some way a reaction to 0:05:13.960 --> 0:05:16.480 what he said, but they claim it's not. But you 0:05:16.480 --> 0:05:19.919 can tell just how fiery things have been robes the 0:05:20.000 --> 0:05:22.520 fact that this was a really long statement, frankly that 0:05:22.560 --> 0:05:26.560 CBS put out, but they made sure to include that bit. 0:05:27.080 --> 0:05:30.000 They knew the criticism was coming, they knew the speculation 0:05:30.200 --> 0:05:32.799 was coming. They knew that people were going to connect 0:05:32.800 --> 0:05:35.440 dots and say Stephen Colbert and The Late Show with 0:05:35.440 --> 0:05:40.280 Stephen Colbert is being canceled because of the bed that 0:05:40.320 --> 0:05:43.920 Paramount is in with President Trump. Because yes, they had 0:05:44.000 --> 0:05:47.840 the sixteen million dollars settlement over this lawsuit, but there 0:05:47.920 --> 0:05:49.680 was a reason why a lot of folks pointed to 0:05:49.720 --> 0:05:52.599 them making that settlement, because they are in the middle 0:05:52.640 --> 0:05:55.960 of a multi billion dollar merger with a movie studio 0:05:56.000 --> 0:05:59.640 Skydance that requires approval from the Trump administration for it 0:05:59.680 --> 0:06:02.279 to go forward. So a lot of folks believe that 0:06:02.440 --> 0:06:06.400 this settlement, this lawsuit was settled because Paramount wants to 0:06:06.440 --> 0:06:09.960 be in good standing with President Trump so this multi 0:06:10.040 --> 0:06:12.200 billion dollar merger can move forward. 0:06:12.520 --> 0:06:15.560 And of course, if that merger does eventually happen, everybody's 0:06:15.600 --> 0:06:17.760 going to come back and say, aha, it worked. Aha, 0:06:17.960 --> 0:06:20.560 see ah, Look they bought their way out. Look they 0:06:20.600 --> 0:06:23.240 fired their way out. They did everything they needed to 0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:26.320 do to get this billion plus dout. We're talking about 0:06:26.360 --> 0:06:30.280 a huge, huge sale of this company, and that's been 0:06:30.279 --> 0:06:32.400 talked about for long and that's the reason for the 0:06:32.480 --> 0:06:34.960 sixteen million dollars element. This is the reason for that's 0:06:34.960 --> 0:06:37.120 what they are saying out there. So I just found 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:40.760 it interesting that this long statement in the second frame 0:06:40.839 --> 0:06:43.960 of it. Essentially, they included that line before. They didn't 0:06:43.960 --> 0:06:47.640 even wait for y'all to accuse us. That's one I 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:49.279 always find it if honey, don't know what your mama 0:06:49.600 --> 0:06:52.640 always say, who's speaking first is probably the guilty one, right, 0:06:52.720 --> 0:06:54.840 the one that runs up. Uh, it wasn't me. I'm 0:06:54.920 --> 0:06:56.240 having nothing to do with it, Like, I ain't even 0:06:56.279 --> 0:06:58.800 ask you. That's what it felt like. 0:06:58.960 --> 0:07:00.680 Yep, it certainly so. 0:07:01.000 --> 0:07:05.719 That reaction obviously came quickly from all over the place. 0:07:06.160 --> 0:07:10.600 It came from some members of Congress, It's come from everybody, 0:07:10.600 --> 0:07:12.760 of course, on the Internet. It comes from a lot 0:07:12.760 --> 0:07:17.320 of media reporters and observers. And the reaction I guess 0:07:17.360 --> 0:07:19.880 so many of us robes were waiting for, was from 0:07:19.960 --> 0:07:23.239 President Trump, and we did get it just a short 0:07:23.240 --> 0:07:25.720 time ago, shortly before this recording, as we're sitting here, 0:07:25.760 --> 0:07:27.600 he did put out a statement. 0:07:27.800 --> 0:07:32.119 Yes, President Trump went onto his favorite social media site 0:07:32.120 --> 0:07:36.760 truth Social and said this, I absolutely love that Colbert 0:07:36.880 --> 0:07:41.000 got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. 0:07:42.280 --> 0:07:47.600 You know, that doesn't surprise us could expect something like 0:07:47.640 --> 0:07:50.440 that from the president. What surprised me maybe a little, 0:07:50.960 --> 0:07:52.720 and maybe he was smart enough not to say it. 0:07:52.800 --> 0:07:54.520 Knew not to say it. I thought he would take 0:07:54.520 --> 0:07:55.040 credit for it. 0:07:55.760 --> 0:07:57.720 He hasn't taken credit for it. But then he went 0:07:57.760 --> 0:08:00.400 on further to let other people know that they too 0:08:00.520 --> 0:08:04.320 might be next in line. Trump went on to say, 0:08:04.360 --> 0:08:07.440 I hear Jimmy Kemmel is next. Has even less talent 0:08:07.520 --> 0:08:11.280 than Colbert. Trump also said Greg Guttfield is better than 0:08:11.320 --> 0:08:14.400 all of them combined, including the moron on NBC who 0:08:14.480 --> 0:08:18.800 ruined the once Great Tonight Show, referring to Jimmy Fallon 0:08:19.440 --> 0:08:21.000 but didn't name him specifically. 0:08:21.040 --> 0:08:22.760 YEA, if you don't know who Greg Guttfield is, he's 0:08:22.800 --> 0:08:25.000 the guy. He is the king of Late Night, to 0:08:25.000 --> 0:08:27.400 be honest with you, right now on television, but he's 0:08:27.400 --> 0:08:30.360 on Fox News. He has been doing Gangbusters over there. 0:08:30.400 --> 0:08:33.439 We'll get into more of him here shortly. But that 0:08:34.040 --> 0:08:38.520 was President Trump. Schiff, actually Senator Schiff was Now, wow, 0:08:38.640 --> 0:08:41.040 that's you're talking about two Trump critics sitting down together. 0:08:41.240 --> 0:08:44.800 He was a guest on Colbert's show last night, and 0:08:45.040 --> 0:08:47.840 he had something to say almost immediately after the taping 0:08:48.400 --> 0:08:50.480 as well. And this, I guess is one of the 0:08:50.520 --> 0:08:54.640 more high profile people robes that is suggesting that something is. 0:08:54.640 --> 0:08:57.719 Up yeah, Adam Swift tweeted, this just finished taping with 0:08:57.760 --> 0:09:01.880 Stephen Colbert, who announced his show with canceled. If Paramount 0:09:01.920 --> 0:09:05.360 and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the 0:09:05.400 --> 0:09:09.040 public deserves to know and deserves better. 0:09:11.080 --> 0:09:17.080 Yeah, and that type of speculation will continue because we 0:09:17.080 --> 0:09:19.800 don't understand how a show. There are a few I mean, 0:09:19.840 --> 0:09:22.800 we could start naming them right now that are institutions 0:09:22.880 --> 0:09:25.480 in television. And you would go with the morning shows, 0:09:25.679 --> 0:09:28.280 well Today and jim A. You would go with certainly 0:09:28.280 --> 0:09:34.240 the Tonight Show, the Late Show, fallen, excuse me, Kimmel. 0:09:34.080 --> 0:09:35.160 Yeah, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy. 0:09:35.160 --> 0:09:38.400 Oh yeah. There are some institutions. If somebody told you 0:09:38.440 --> 0:09:40.560 sixty minutes was going to go away, if somebody told 0:09:40.600 --> 0:09:42.920 you one of these staples is going to go yeah, wait, 0:09:42.960 --> 0:09:48.160 what's happening? And the show this one, I didn't realize 0:09:48.240 --> 0:09:50.760 robes there have actually only been two hosts. 0:09:50.960 --> 0:09:54.640 Yeah, it's David Letterman and Stephen Colbert. 0:09:54.720 --> 0:09:55.000 Period. 0:09:55.040 --> 0:09:56.040 I didn't realize that either. 0:09:56.120 --> 0:09:57.720 I thought there were a few more sprinkled in that 0:09:57.720 --> 0:09:59.800 the Tonight Show had several more, even though we know 0:09:59.880 --> 0:10:02.600 that two main ones but had some. These are only 0:10:02.640 --> 0:10:04.800 two guys who have ever been in charge of that show. 0:10:04.880 --> 0:10:07.360 And it was actually surprising to me because it seems 0:10:07.400 --> 0:10:09.679 like so much time and so many things have happened 0:10:09.920 --> 0:10:12.440 over this past decade. But the fact that Letterman didn't 0:10:12.480 --> 0:10:18.760 step away until twenty fifteen, and that is when we 0:10:18.840 --> 0:10:21.040 had the new host take up for Stephen Colbert, and 0:10:21.320 --> 0:10:23.560 so he's been doing it for ten years. But it's 0:10:23.640 --> 0:10:26.439 amazing to go back and look that Letterman had this 0:10:26.520 --> 0:10:27.840 show for twenty plus years. 0:10:27.920 --> 0:10:29.600 Yeah, and you go back and they this was a 0:10:29.640 --> 0:10:33.000 big deal, a big coup for CBS in the first place, 0:10:33.040 --> 0:10:36.160 because Letterman had a successful show going over at NBC 0:10:36.280 --> 0:10:38.760 has on Late night show. They plucked him. This was 0:10:38.800 --> 0:10:42.520 a big deal, and he builds a powerhouse at CBS 0:10:42.520 --> 0:10:46.760 and turns that show into what it is today. Oh, 0:10:46.920 --> 0:10:48.440 what it is today, what it's going to be for 0:10:48.440 --> 0:10:49.480 the next Way's a nine. 0:10:49.320 --> 0:10:51.280 Months ten months, yes, ten months. 0:10:51.480 --> 0:10:54.640 But it's they tried and tried and reason this is 0:10:54.640 --> 0:10:57.600 such an institution. They were trying to keep up with 0:10:57.720 --> 0:11:01.480 the Tonight's show at the time. When you remember the 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:03.959 Pat Say Jack show, Oh no. 0:11:04.440 --> 0:11:06.240 Okay, I was like, wait, Pat Say Jack, yes, but 0:11:06.280 --> 0:11:08.319 the show, no, we had a late night show, no 0:11:08.360 --> 0:11:09.160 will of fortune. 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:11.720 They tried to get a show going with him, he 0:11:11.720 --> 0:11:14.680 couldn't compete with the Tonight Show. That show was canceled 0:11:14.720 --> 0:11:17.720 before him merv Griffin, Wow, I had a show on 0:11:17.920 --> 0:11:19.920 That one did okay, but there was some kind of 0:11:19.920 --> 0:11:22.319 contractual disputars whatever. That one went wet. So they had 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:26.200 been trying for a long time at late night. They 0:11:26.320 --> 0:11:31.040 nailed it, finally created this juggernaut, got two great comedians 0:11:31.040 --> 0:11:32.800 to do it, and it's over. 0:11:33.000 --> 0:11:36.440 You know what's crazy too. Three days ago, the ratings 0:11:36.480 --> 0:11:38.640 came out for the second quarter of twenty twenty five. 0:11:38.760 --> 0:11:43.600 It was a news article published again a few days ago, 0:11:43.920 --> 0:11:46.640 and they literally said the headline, Stephen Colbert is holding 0:11:46.679 --> 0:11:49.880 on to the top spot in his hour, Greg Guttfield 0:11:49.880 --> 0:11:54.680 dominating his slot. But still they were praising Colbert's ratings, saying, 0:11:54.760 --> 0:11:59.160 he's averaging two point four million, and that is fairly 0:11:59.200 --> 0:12:02.320 significant given what the other shows are doing. He's well 0:12:02.360 --> 0:12:04.640 aware of Jimmy Kimmel's at one point seven. This was 0:12:04.880 --> 0:12:08.400 the last quarter, and the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon 0:12:08.440 --> 0:12:10.720 is one point one eight. So you look at those 0:12:10.800 --> 0:12:14.840 numbers and Colbert was if you can say dominating, but yes, 0:12:14.920 --> 0:12:16.320 he was doing extremely well. 0:12:16.480 --> 0:12:21.000 Dominating, but dismal. That's the problem. Your dominating ratings are 0:12:21.040 --> 0:12:24.800 dismal compared to years past. You will find plenty of 0:12:24.840 --> 0:12:27.319 write up to tell you advertising dollars in late night 0:12:27.360 --> 0:12:29.960 have gone down some fifty percent in the past five 0:12:30.000 --> 0:12:35.360 to seven years, folks, fifty percent in ad dollars. That 0:12:35.520 --> 0:12:38.760 is just not going to be sustainable when you have 0:12:39.240 --> 0:12:43.079 these big budgets. Another thing people don't realize. Like I said, 0:12:44.200 --> 0:12:46.800 folks who have been paying attention, this is not a shocker. 0:12:47.080 --> 0:12:50.560 There have been not even breadcrumbs. I mean, there have 0:12:50.720 --> 0:12:55.280 been like flares going off showing the way that Late 0:12:55.360 --> 0:12:59.400 Night is going. We're gonna get into that, and you're 0:12:59.440 --> 0:13:02.959 gonna say to yourself after you hear some of this, wow, 0:13:03.520 --> 0:13:14.439 I see why they did it. All right, folks, We 0:13:14.520 --> 0:13:18.040 continue now with this really shocking news, not just that 0:13:18.080 --> 0:13:20.440 Stephen Colbert is going to be out at the Late 0:13:20.480 --> 0:13:23.400 Show on CBS, but the show itself. I guess a 0:13:23.480 --> 0:13:26.360 late night institution at this point that David Letterman started 0:13:27.120 --> 0:13:28.880 is going to be going away. They are going to 0:13:28.920 --> 0:13:32.480 cancel the show altogether. It won't be coming back after 0:13:32.559 --> 0:13:35.199 May when Colbert's contract is up. But Robes we've been 0:13:35.240 --> 0:13:37.360 talking about, you were given the ratings. He is on 0:13:37.440 --> 0:13:41.079 top of ratings, but the ratings are so far down 0:13:41.280 --> 0:13:43.720 from where they used to be. So the idea now 0:13:44.120 --> 0:13:48.120 of Fallin, where we see Fallon everywhere. He's starring in this, 0:13:48.160 --> 0:13:51.040 he's at the Christmas Prey, he's doing all these things. 0:13:51.640 --> 0:13:54.520 One million viewers is not going to be okay. 0:13:54.640 --> 0:13:54.880 Now. 0:13:55.200 --> 0:14:00.720 One million viewers is almost a staggering thought in late 0:14:00.800 --> 0:14:05.079 night television, giving the three million plus that were used 0:14:05.120 --> 0:14:07.680 to be gotten just a few years ago. Yes, and 0:14:07.720 --> 0:14:10.080 certainly in the heyday of the Linos and the lettermans 0:14:10.080 --> 0:14:12.760 of the world. To think now the numbers we're talking 0:14:12.800 --> 0:14:15.960 about and the demo numbers. He's number one and overall, 0:14:16.000 --> 0:14:18.160 but he's number two in the demo, right, and that 0:14:18.200 --> 0:14:21.040 demo is eighteen to forty nine year olds, And we're 0:14:21.040 --> 0:14:24.280 talking about two hundred and twenty thousand in the demo. Kimmel, 0:14:24.600 --> 0:14:27.560 that's Kimmel's number. Fallon has one hundred and fifty seven 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:29.960 thousand in the demo. You're making a face right there 0:14:30.000 --> 0:14:33.480 like this. Yes, because we have worked in television, we 0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:37.040 know what those numbers mean. And that's RUSS for guys 0:14:37.040 --> 0:14:38.400 making fifteen million dollars a year. 0:14:38.560 --> 0:14:42.040 It's unjustifiable, is what it is. But it's interesting to me. 0:14:42.120 --> 0:14:44.200 Why wouldn't they have asked and maybe Colbert would not 0:14:44.240 --> 0:14:47.400 have considered this, But we're seeing this in network news 0:14:47.480 --> 0:14:50.680 in other shows where hosts that are making huge amounts 0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:54.720 of money when the show's dwindling audience doesn't support those salaries, 0:14:55.000 --> 0:14:58.600 they've asked hosts to take a cut, maybe even cut 0:14:58.640 --> 0:15:01.960 their salary by thirty percent, by fifty It doesn't even 0:15:01.960 --> 0:15:04.520 appear that that was offered. There was no negotiation. According 0:15:04.520 --> 0:15:06.320 to the way Cole Bear said it, it was a 0:15:06.360 --> 0:15:08.160 shock to him. He got a phone call and it 0:15:08.240 --> 0:15:11.840 was done over see you later. You got ten months 0:15:11.840 --> 0:15:14.960 by And that is what's shocking about it. They weren't 0:15:15.000 --> 0:15:18.920 even trying to maybe downsize or find a way to 0:15:18.960 --> 0:15:22.880 cut costs to keep it alive. They just said, you're 0:15:22.880 --> 0:15:24.600 done the cost cutting. 0:15:24.640 --> 0:15:27.160 And again I didn't really we're not late night watchers, 0:15:27.200 --> 0:15:32.000 but I did not realize this show only tapes four 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:35.360 nights a week, right, because they're cutting costs. Do you 0:15:35.480 --> 0:15:39.480 know that Fallon show only tapes four nights a week? Yes, 0:15:39.520 --> 0:15:43.240 for production costs the other as well. All three late 0:15:43.320 --> 0:15:46.000 night shows on the networks have done that. They've made 0:15:46.040 --> 0:15:49.000 that move because they're trying to cut costs. What does 0:15:49.000 --> 0:15:51.560 that tell you, now, CBS. That's not to say the 0:15:51.560 --> 0:15:53.200 writing might have been on the wall. You remember the 0:15:53.280 --> 0:15:57.560 Late Late Show, Late Late Show with James Cordon. 0:15:57.640 --> 0:16:00.360 That's our that's our the time our alarm clocks off 0:16:00.520 --> 0:16:01.000 pretty much. 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:03.520 But by the time that show was we've been wrapping up. 0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:05.840 We're waking up. So no, the point is, I've not 0:16:05.880 --> 0:16:07.760 seen it, but I do remember it. I know of it. 0:16:07.880 --> 0:16:10.760 See, I didn't even remember that the show got canceled, 0:16:11.000 --> 0:16:14.000 The Late Late Show with James Cordon. Yes, was it 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:18.320 Karaoke the Car Karaoke Guy that everybody loves. That show 0:16:18.360 --> 0:16:24.120 got canceled two years ago. It went away. Why because 0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:28.760 it brought in forty five million dollars in revenue and 0:16:28.800 --> 0:16:31.760 it costs sixty million dollars to put on. Dang, So 0:16:32.440 --> 0:16:36.120 CBS made that move years ago. Again, that report was, 0:16:36.880 --> 0:16:39.360 that report has been out there, But they made that 0:16:39.400 --> 0:16:43.240 move because it just wasn't sustainable, and in its place 0:16:43.480 --> 0:16:46.680 they put a like a game show with the comedian. Now, 0:16:46.760 --> 0:16:50.200 it just happened to that it went away because the 0:16:50.200 --> 0:16:54.000 comedian wants to go back on the road touring. CBS said, 0:16:54.000 --> 0:16:56.240 we're just not gonna continue the show, We're not gonna replace, 0:16:56.400 --> 0:17:00.360 So they have given away essentially a late night time 0:17:00.440 --> 0:17:05.160 slot that has been there for decades. So they are 0:17:05.240 --> 0:17:09.919 recognizing that late night is not going to be sustainable 0:17:10.359 --> 0:17:14.439 for years to come. And cobear the number one is 0:17:14.520 --> 0:17:15.080 experience in. 0:17:15.080 --> 0:17:18.040 That now and part of the problem. The folks who 0:17:18.040 --> 0:17:20.640 are up late night are the younger viewers, which are 0:17:20.760 --> 0:17:25.000 the the one type of viewer that all advertisers want. 0:17:25.040 --> 0:17:27.440 They want them young, They want to bring them into 0:17:27.440 --> 0:17:29.080 their brands to stay with them for the rest of 0:17:29.080 --> 0:17:30.800 their lives. Once you get to a certain age, they 0:17:30.840 --> 0:17:32.880 don't really wantch you. And so what are the young 0:17:32.920 --> 0:17:36.159 people doing. They're not watching television period, They're not watching 0:17:36.520 --> 0:17:39.520 traditional broadcasting, they're not watching cable. They are on YouTube, 0:17:39.560 --> 0:17:42.960 they are on TikTok, and all of that content, as 0:17:43.000 --> 0:17:46.000 we know, is very cheap to make and has huge 0:17:46.000 --> 0:17:49.520 returns for the content creators, much more so than what 0:17:49.520 --> 0:17:52.440 we're even seeing in broadcasting. So yes, the young viewers 0:17:52.520 --> 0:17:55.640 who would tend to watch the snarky comedians make fun 0:17:55.680 --> 0:17:58.639 of the day's news and the politicians behind much of it. 0:17:59.280 --> 0:18:02.840 They're not watching television. Most of them don't even have TVs. 0:18:03.320 --> 0:18:05.640 So this is the problem, and how do you fix it? 0:18:06.440 --> 0:18:07.240 No one knows. 0:18:07.359 --> 0:18:10.280 They didn't figure out how to monetize what you're talking about. 0:18:10.320 --> 0:18:14.240 Those clips were great. Kimmel used to go viral seemed 0:18:14.280 --> 0:18:17.080 like every week because he did some skit of some gag. 0:18:17.200 --> 0:18:18.840 So where the kids figure out, I don't have to 0:18:18.840 --> 0:18:21.160 stay up late and watch your whole show. I'm gonna 0:18:21.200 --> 0:18:23.040 see the clip in the morning, correct, and I'm gonna 0:18:23.080 --> 0:18:24.919 watch it for a few seconds. I'm gonna laugh and 0:18:24.960 --> 0:18:27.639 move on about my day. You can't monetize that to 0:18:27.720 --> 0:18:30.080 the tune of a fifteen million dollar year salary just 0:18:30.200 --> 0:18:34.639 yet anyway. But they tried, and they've been trying and 0:18:34.680 --> 0:18:37.719 trying and trying. But the shows we talked about this 0:18:37.760 --> 0:18:39.960 the other day, we just ha was it might have 0:18:40.040 --> 0:18:42.960 been a promo I think for the CBS Morning Show. 0:18:43.359 --> 0:18:45.080 And this is not a criticism of them, but I 0:18:45.119 --> 0:18:49.080 look like, wow, that's the same glass table, the same 0:18:49.240 --> 0:18:53.440 round table, the same three people wearing the same outfits 0:18:53.480 --> 0:18:56.399 with the same color background. It's as if news and 0:18:56.520 --> 0:19:01.320 networks in particular have a difficult time change adapt evolving, 0:19:01.760 --> 0:19:05.280 and the late shows you watch tonight, it looks exactly 0:19:05.320 --> 0:19:07.840 the way it looked when Johnny Carson did the show, 0:19:07.880 --> 0:19:11.040 except for a few skits maybe, But it's the same thing. 0:19:11.320 --> 0:19:13.200 Yeah, And so some of the older folks are sticking 0:19:13.240 --> 0:19:15.879 around because doesn't it feel good. It almost feels nostalgic, 0:19:15.920 --> 0:19:17.919 It feels safe. This is what you know, this is 0:19:17.920 --> 0:19:20.560 what you like, this is how you laugh. But for 0:19:20.600 --> 0:19:24.520 the folks who are younger, who they need, desperately need, 0:19:25.040 --> 0:19:28.720 they can't focus. We know we have children. They can't 0:19:28.760 --> 0:19:31.520 focus for more than thirty seconds on anything. So the 0:19:31.560 --> 0:19:33.679 clips were great, but it wasn't driving people back to 0:19:33.680 --> 0:19:36.840 watch the show. So, yes, they loved watching them, they 0:19:36.880 --> 0:19:40.439 appreciated the humor, and they're wildly popular, but it doesn't 0:19:40.440 --> 0:19:43.560 translate to folks tuning in at eleven thirty five to 0:19:43.600 --> 0:19:44.760 watch these late night shows. 0:19:44.800 --> 0:19:47.600 It's weird when you do think about it's the same thing. 0:19:47.840 --> 0:19:51.800 Meeting comes out, same suit, same tie, gives the monologue, 0:19:51.960 --> 0:19:54.640 goes over, sits behind a desk, gives a shout out 0:19:54.680 --> 0:19:59.560 to his band, brings out whatever celebrity to promote whatever movie, 0:20:00.160 --> 0:20:04.040 you do the same package, little stories and little laughs, 0:20:04.480 --> 0:20:08.240 and there is you're not expecting a moment anymore. Think 0:20:08.280 --> 0:20:10.560 it the greatest late night moments. You could probably think 0:20:10.560 --> 0:20:13.600 of what our Senil Hall I can remember one. I 0:20:13.600 --> 0:20:18.199 can remember Jay Lintle with Was it Hugh Grant that 0:20:18.400 --> 0:20:22.719 moment after he was arrested. Oh, there are moments that 0:20:22.840 --> 0:20:25.640 stand out. Those moments just don't seem. 0:20:25.560 --> 0:20:28.960 They were long, long, long ago it happened like that anymore. 0:20:29.000 --> 0:20:31.480 They really don't. And you know, you brought up the 0:20:31.560 --> 0:20:33.919 early show CBS and not to point, not to single 0:20:33.960 --> 0:20:37.040 them out, but all the morning shows, I would imagine, 0:20:37.080 --> 0:20:40.600 and us having worked in morning television for many decades, 0:20:41.440 --> 0:20:43.680 you have to think they're concerned because the same thing 0:20:43.720 --> 0:20:47.679 is happening on morning television with the morning network news shows. 0:20:47.760 --> 0:20:52.639 Their audience is dwindling each year. It's they're trying to 0:20:52.640 --> 0:20:56.280