Washington Examiner’s Joe Concha weighed in on the recent cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, saying the program’s end has deeply disappointed Democrats, having served as a “late-night therapy session” for them during the Trump years.
Appearing Monday on Fox News’ America Reports, Concha rebuffed critics, including Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who framed the show’s cancellation as a First Amendment issue or a chilling effect on free speech.
“Do you people live in the real world?” Concha asked rhetorically. “Last I checked, a one-hour talk show should not need more than 100 staffers, and it shouldn’t need a $130 million production budget. The host shouldn’t be paid $20 million a year to finish a distant second to Greg Gutfeld.”
Concha noted that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert had reportedly lost approximately $40 million a year, a figure he argued made the show’s fate inevitable.
“CBS is in the business of making money, not hemorrhaging it,” he said bluntly.
He dismissed suggestions that the cancellation was political, adding that Colbert was consistently a platform for Democrats and progressive media personalities.
“When you provide a late-night therapy session for Democrats, like Stephen Colbert has over these years, I guess this is why they are so disappointed that this platform is going away,” Concha said.
He pointed to the show’s guest lineup as evidence of partisan slant: Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) appeared 21 times, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) 16 times, and CNN hosts Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper had a combined 32 appearances.
“This was a Democrat platform,” Concha asserted, adding that Colbert’s audience was “a fraction” of what it was under previous host David Letterman.
Concha also commented on Jon Stewart’s uncertain future at The Daily Show, especially in light of the pending Skydance–Paramount merger. Stewart, in a recent interview, said he hadn’t heard anything from the new corporate leadership.
“I think he knows what’s coming,” Concha said. “When that happens, probably the Jon Stewart show goes away, too. He’s getting a fraction of the ratings he used to.”
Concha criticized the homogenization of left-leaning late-night shows, such as Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Daily Show, and The Late Show, saying, “They’re indistinguishable from each other, … predictable, and patently unfunny.”
That, he said, is why Gutfeld! has surged to the top of late-night ratings. “He offers different kinds of guests and topics, not the same talking points for the DNC night after night.”
During the segment, Concha also commented on the viral “Coldplay cam” incident that has taken over social media, where a couple was caught on camera at a concert, sparking a frenzy of speculation about an affair and online shaming.
COLBERT’S DEMISE COMES DOWN TO THESE SIMPLE THINGS
Concha noted that while the story captivated the internet, the personal fallout for those involved could be devastating.
“He’s probably going to lose his wife, his kids may never look at him the same way again. There are consequences,” he said. “If they didn’t overreact that way, this thing doesn’t go viral.”