CBS Reportedly Blacked Out Stephen Colbert Farewell After On-Air Jab at Network Anchor

Stephen Colbert’s final episode of The Late Show drew major attention across national media, but CBS largely avoided covering his farewell on its own broadcasts. According to Status, the network intentionally limited coverage after Colbert publicly mocked CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil over a reporting mishap tied to a U.S.-China summit.

During a May monologue, Colbert joked that while other networks reported from China, Dokoupil had to broadcast from Taiwan after failing to secure a visa. He also mocked CBS News with the line: “When events happen, we’re at most one country away.” The report says CBS News President Tom Cibrowski responded by ordering a blackout of Colbert coverage.

Despite the tension, Colbert’s final show became the most-watched weeknight episode of his tenure, attracting an estimated 6.74 million viewers, according to Nielsen data cited by The Hollywood Reporter. Guests included Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, Tim Meadows, and Paul McCartney.

CBS has said the cancellation of The Late Show was purely financial. However, the decision came shortly after Colbert criticized CBS over its reported $16 million settlement with Donald Trump, calling it a “big, fat bribe.”

Trump reacted to the finale with multiple posts on Truth Social, celebrating Colbert’s exit and calling the host “untalented” and “not funny.”