Late-night TV is a lot of things: a mood-booster in trying times like these, a chance to catch up on political news without the heaviness of it all, and a chance for friends and family to enjoy time together watching their favorite hosts and laughing about light issues. However, in more recent times, it has been used to discuss more serious topics regarding politics and the state of our world. Over the past two decades, late-night hosts, namely Jon Stewart, John Oliver, and Stephen Colbert, have been some of the most vocal critics of unjust policies and corrupt politicians, regardless of party affiliation – something that is protected by our right to free speech under the First Amendment. The events of the last few months, with the Colbert show being canceled and with Jimmy Kimmel’s comments about Charlie Kirk prompting the show’s suspension, showed how at risk our country is of losing that right. These events should be a lesson for all of us on the importance of speaking up and protesting to preserve our rights. Last month, it was late-night TV, but there are far greater things at risk, including the right to vote.
On July 17th, an announcement was made that the Stephen Colbert show was being canceled permanently at the end of the 2026 season in May. At the time, many questioned whether this announcement was politically motivated, as opposed to the financial reasons cited. CBS, which airs The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, is owned by Paramount, which was seeking to curry favor with the FCC as it sought approval of its merger with Skydance. That deal was indeed approved following The Late Show announcement. On Sept. 17, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was taken off the air indefinitely over comments he made following the assassination of conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10. While you can debate whether the comments were offensive or not, that’s not the main issue. The suspension came after FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened ABC on a podcast, saying, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” Like many other institutions have recently (including universities and technology CEOs), ABC and its parent company Disney caved to these mob boss-like comments and pulled the show immediately. And if this can happen to a White comedian, what does this mean for groups of people who have less of a voice?
There is, of course, real concern about the financial viability of these shows. The shift away from traditional programming towards streaming, and the Gen Z preference for short, personalized, engaging content, means that viewership for these shows has been in steep decline. Though the primary audience of these shows is a couple of generations older than us, I still watch the occasional Daily Show or Stephen Colbert with my parents when I’m home for a break. But more often, I’ll watch the clips on social media or YouTube the next day, as is customary for most people of our generation.
Despite these challenges, these shows play a critical role in our national dialogue now more than ever. They are, in many ways, on the front lines of highlighting the disturbing political climate and administration moves. American citizens are being detained by ICE, cell phones are being searched at airports, and employees of the government are being asked to take loyalty pledges, not to the Constitution but to the President. The cancellation of these shows is another move to silence our voices and our ability to protest.
As the shows work to figure out a viable operational model, which may eventually mean a switch to streaming, our voices need to be heard loud and clear to support the right to free speech on TV, on campus, in protests, and in the halls of Congress. The power of our voices was felt when, on September 23rd, Jimmy Kimmel Live returned to the air amid intense protests and threats of boycotts to Disney and advertisers. It brought an optimistic sense that if we use our voices and make a stand, we can be heard and have an impact on the future.
