CBS News Prez Ordered Morning Show to Ignore Colbert’s Finale Because of Late Show’s ‘Unprofessional’ Shot at Tony Dokoupil: Report
Yahoo • • entertainment
Key Points:
- CBS Mornings did not mention Stephen Colbert’s final Late Show episode, despite it being a major event on the network, reportedly due to a directive from CBS News president Tom Cibrowski.
- The decision stemmed from Colbert’s recent comedic segment mocking CBS News anchor Tony Dokoupil’s failed China visa, which Cibrowski and CBS News staff found unprofessional and offensive.
- The controversial segment featured a parody of Dokoupil broadcasting from Taiwan and included a humorous skit involving Bari Weiss, which was well-received by Colbert’s audience but disliked by CBS News leadership.
- Despite the news division's support for Colbert earlier in the year, the fallout led to a near gag order, though anchor Gayle King publicly praised Colbert and attended his farewell party.
- Veteran reporter Bill Carter criticized CBS for allegedly yielding to political pressure by removing Colbert, calling it a negative development for the country.