Fmr. NPR CEO on CBS Cancelling Colbert’s Show: ‘This Has Not Been a Great Week for Free Speech and Speaking Truth to Power’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
CAPEHART: “But I want to shift gears for a moment and just get your your reaction, your thoughts on CBS’s decision to cancel the late show with Stephen Colbert and whether you have any concerns about what that might say about about media in general and media in the world of a Donald Trump presidency?”

SCHILLER: “Yeah. Well, look, this is not been a great week for free speech and speaking truth to power, without a doubt. Look, the circumstantial evidence and that’s all we have is as follows CBS has said that they are canceling Stephen Colbert after next season for financial reasons. At the same time, we also know, as you said in the intro, that it is the number one show in its time slot, and we also know that the new parent company for CBS or or they hope to be the new parent company, has, has spent money on other things. So it’s very curious. And we have to also make note that Stephen Colbert is unafraid to again speak truth to power. He does it in a in a very bipartisan way over the years, and comedy and parody is an important part of a democratic ecosystem.”