乔恩·斯图尔特（Jon Stewart）在《每日秀》节目中猛烈抨击了CBS取消其好友斯蒂芬·科尔伯特（Stephen Colbert）主持的《科尔伯特深夜秀》的决定。尽管CBS声称此举是出于纯粹的财务考量，并指出深夜电视节目普遍面临财务挑战，但斯图尔特认为，这一决定与母公司派拉蒙（Paramount）为促成与Skydance Media的合并，试图讨好特朗普政府有关。斯图尔特还提到，CBS此前曾支付1600万美元的“敲诈费”以平息特朗普提起的诉讼，他认为这是CBS失去公信力的表现。他强调，企业不应因恐惧而屈服，并指出科尔伯特节目的成功和观众增长与财务困境的说法相悖，广告收入的下降也不能完全解释节目被砍的决定。斯图尔特呼吁企业和广告商“硬起来”，不要屈服于恐惧和“预先合规”。

🤔 斯图尔特质疑CBS取消科尔伯特节目的真实原因，认为并非单纯的财务决策。他指出，CBS母公司派拉蒙在全球与Skydance Media的合并过程中，可能为了讨好特朗普政府而牺牲了科尔伯特的节目，这是一种“恐惧和预先合规”的表现。

💸 斯图尔特承认深夜电视节目面临财务挑战，将行业比作“在Tower Records里经营Blockbuster便利店”，但认为这并非节目被取消的根本原因。他强调，即使在行业变化时，也不应轻易放弃，并以音乐产业的例子说明，即使CD销量下降，音乐产业也没有停止发展。

⚖️ 斯图尔特提及CBS此前支付1600万美元的“敲诈费”以解决特朗普提起的诉讼，认为这是CBS在“欺骗性剪辑”事件后失去公信力的表现。他认为，派拉蒙试图通过取消节目来讨好特朗普政府，但这种策略可能适得其反，并以特朗普起诉《华尔街日报》的例子来佐证。

📈 斯图尔特指出，科尔伯特的节目在收视率方面表现良好，是唯一一个今年观众有所增长的深夜脱口秀节目，这与CBS声称的“非财务原因”相矛盾。尽管广告收入整体下降，但他认为这不能完全解释节目的突然取消。

🗣️ 斯图尔特在节目中情绪激动，使用了大量“fuck”的词语，呼吁企业和广告商“硬起来”（sack up），不要屈服于恐惧，要坚持原则，尤其是在当前充满挑战的环境下，不应向压力低头。

Jon Stewart slammed CBS's decision to cancel his friend Stephen Colbert's talk show.CBS, which is owned by Paramount, said the cancellation was "purely a financial decision."But Stewart said Paramount was capitulating to Trump over its proposed merger with Skydance Media.

Jon Stewart says CBS's cancellation of "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" has less to do with the show's financials and more to do with getting into the Trump administration's good books.

Stewart slammed CBS and its decision during his expletive-filled monologue on "The Daily Show" which aired on Monday night. Both Stewart's and Colbert's shows share the same parent company, Paramount Global.

"Now, obviously, I am certainly not the most objective to comment on this matter," Stewart said of his longtime friendship with Colbert.

Stewart acknowledged the financial challenges that come with trying to run a late night television show like Colbert's. Stewart said in his monologue that "late night TV is a struggling financial model" and is akin to "operating a Blockbuster kiosk inside of a Tower Records."

"But when your industry is faced with changes, you don't just call it a day. My god, when CDs stopped selling, they didn't just go, 'Oh well, music, it's been a good run,'" Stewart said.

Stewart said the cancellation of Colbert's show by CBS raised questions over whether it was "purely financial" or the "path of least resistance" for Paramount's proposed merger with Skydance Media.

"I believe CBS lost the benefit of the doubt two weeks prior when they sold out their flagship news program to pay an extortion fee to said president," Stewart said.

Earlier this month, Paramount said it had agreed to pay President Donald Trump a $16 million settlement. Trump had filed a lawsuit against CBS which accused the network of "deceptive editing" of an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris on "60 Minutes."

"Look, I understand the corporate fear. I understand the fear that you and your advertisers have with $8 billion at stake," Stewart said.

"But understand this, truly, the shows that you now seek to cancel, censor, and control. A not insignificant portion of that $8 billion value came from those fucking shows. That's what made you that money," he added.

Stewart said that capitulating to Trump would not play out the way Paramount expects. He referenced the president's recent lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal after it reported on a "bawdy" birthday letter Trump sent to Jeffrey Epstein on the latter's 50th birthday.

"Donald Trump is suing Rupert Murdoch. The owner of Fox News, the man other than Biden may be most responsible for getting Trump elected," Stewart said.

"Fox spends 24 hours a day blowing Trump and it's not enough. Imagine suing someone mid blow. How could you? 'Finish up. Finish up down there and I'll see you in court,'" he added.

Stewart added that the reason Colbert's show was ending was not because of its financial health but the "fear and pre-compliance that is gripping all of America's institutions."

"This is not the moment to give in. I'm not giving in," Stewart said.

During his half-hour monologue, Stewart said versions of the word "fuck" over two dozen times.

CBS said in a statement on July 18 that the cancellation of Colbert's show was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night." It added that the decision was "not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount."

Last week, Puck's Matt Belloni reported that Colbert's show had been losing more than $40 million a year. This is in spite of Colbert's popularity with viewers. His show was the only late-night show to gain viewers this year, per ratings from the American audience measurement company, Nielsen.

Advertising revenue across late-night shows like Colbert's has been dropping, too. Ad revenue for late-night fell from $439 million in 2018 to $220 million in 2024, The New York Times reported, citing data it had obtained from advertising data firm, Guideline.

Representatives for Stewart, Colbert, CBS, and the White House did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.