The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has called for an investigation into the abrupt cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert by CBS and its parent company, Paramount Global, alleging the move was politically motivated.
CBS confirmed earlier this week that it will end the long-running late-night program in May 2026, retiring the entire Late Show franchise after over three decades. Executives cited declining ad revenue and changing viewer habits as reasons for the decision.
“Cancellations are part of the business,” the WGA’s East and West Coast branches said in a joint statement Friday, “but terminating a show in bad faith due to political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society.” The union urged New York state officials to launch a formal investigation.