Late Show ending May 2026

[michael hagerty]

But my point is that SNL never hit a "cultural" button with me. When I was able to see it, in the brief time I was with Metroplex in Miami, I had previously spent most of my adolescent and adult years in Latin America. Like Seinfeld, I just did not "get it". Whether it flew over me or just flew by me, it just did not hit any spots that amused me.

I didn't get the Rocky Horror Picture Show, either. These are not politically but culturally based perceptions. My wife, who immigrated with her family as a teen but grew up in a very Hispanic household and worked in Spanish language media has the same reactions... culturally based.

I understand all that. It isn't what we were talking about, but I get it.

A white Irish kid raised in Bishop, California, population 3,000 isn't the key demo for Seinfeld, either. But, somehow it made me laugh even though I've never visited New York (maybe driving on Ventura Boulevard by CBS Radford, where they actually shot it was enough).

And I won't pretend to understand Hispanic culture, so you'll have to tell me what in that life experience makes Gutfeld hit your cultural button. I would think it would be his willingness to toss your wife and daughter in the back of a van and ask questions later, but clearly it's not.

 

[davideduardo]

It has been designated a historic site, so there are limitations what can be done with it.

I was not aware of that, but did think that maybe the Ed Sullivan connection would protect it. But to remain a historic site, I'd think that much of the administrative space and the areas not part of the theater itself could become offices.

The problem there is that there is a high rate of vacancy in mid-town and lower Manhattan office space.

 

[michael hagerty]

Have you been inside? It's a dump. It needs to be demolished.

Never have. My only image of West 57th is Jane Wallace and Meredith Viera in their late 20s running up the stairwell and walking down the hall with great intensity:

I'm sorry. What was the question again?

 

[michael hagerty]

It has been designated a historic site, so there are limitations what can be done with it.

(Let's see if I can summon Lance with this incantation)

Unless Ellison sells it to Trump and he turns it into a strip club and cryptocoin vending machine arcade.

 

[IM42A]

How about the Seattle-Tacoma market?
KRSC-TV/5 signed on with all four networks (but was CBS primary) November 25, 1948.

Then KTNT-TV/11 signed on March 1, 1953 taking CBS away from KRSC, then lost it to KIRO-TV/7 when it signed on February 8, 1958 (because KIRO/710 was the CBS Radio affiliate). As the result of an anti-trust lawsuit, both stations shared CBS from 1960 to 1962.

KRSC then became NBC primary until KMO-TV/13 signed on August 2, 1953 ... but NBC moved again after only five months (!) to KOMO-TV/4 when it signed on December 11, because KOMO/1000 was the NBC Radio affiliate.

KTNT became KSTW and got the CBS affiliation back in 1995 as KIRO switched to UPN, then they swapped affiliations two years later.

KMO became KTVW, ran for a couple of years as an independent before going bankrupt and becoming public television station KCPQ from 1976 to 1980 before being sold and resuming commercial independent status.

KING-TV (the former KRSC), was left with ABC but then swapped affiliations with KOMO in 1959.

During the 1950s, every one of these stations carried some programs from other than their primary network. Heaven only knows how the viewers kept track of it all.

Seattle-Tacoma was kind of a strange market in the 1960s and 1970s, in that they had two VHF independents in a market that probably wasn't large enough to support them along with a full network complement of stations. KTVW-13 was especially challenged.

 

[tall_guy1]

Are you begging Lance to shut this thread down (might not be the worst idea, actually)?

Honest answer----how could I possibly know? That would depend entirely on the Republican Party. Right now, the vast majority of the party's electeds have surrendered their independence and abandoned their role in a government of laws with three independent branches of government in order to advance Trump's agenda.

So, I can't vote for any of them. They're not doing their damn jobs, not listening to the people and not even pretending to (see: "Don't attend your own town hall").

The only likely scenario of a massive turnover in GOP candidates would be a catastrophic failure of the current administration---something Watergate-level.

But I can't even picture a mass "Holy shit, we're sorry we did that!" from them precisely because their media is polarized poisoned to the point that you have shows like Gutfeld:

Gutfeld sparks backlash after reclaiming Nazi as his own ‘n-word’: ‘Beneath contempt’

‘You know what? I’ve said this before. We need to learn from the Blacks. The way they were able to remove the power from the n-word by using it,” Greg Gutfeld declared on Tuesday.

www.the-independent.com

...which emboldens the worst of the candidates and desensitizes once otherwise decent Americans to the point that they won't draw a line and insist on having their views represented by something better, which is what I did in 2017.

I think there was a more "mainstream" conservatism in our culture before the 2010s (stuff like Family Ties, for instance). Once Sarah Palin and the Tea Party came along, their positions grew more extreme and unreasonable to where even the far left (and definitely center left)does not seem as off base as some might previously thought.

 

[michael hagerty]

I think there was a more "mainstream" conservatism in our culture before the 2010s (stuff like Family Ties, for instance). Once Sarah Palin and the Tea Party came along, their positions grew more extreme and unreasonable to where even the far left (and definitely center left)does not seem as off base as some might previously thought.

Forgive me if you know this, but for people who don't:

In 2012, Aaron Sorkin (creator/producer/writer of "The West Wing") debuted a show on HBO called "The Newsroom". Jeff Daniels played a cable news anchor named Will McAvoy, a registered Republican. His boss, the VP of News, Charlie Skinner, was played by Sam Waterston and his producer, MacKenzie McHale, was played by Emily Mortimer.

The show took real-life events that had already happened and then set the show in that timeline---so in this episode that aired in 2012, the story is taking place in 2010, during the primary elections of that year. The only fictional element is the cable network and its people. The events they cover are real and unaltered.

The names McAvoy mentions, Bob Bennett and Mike Lee, are real. Bob Bennett was the incumbent U.S. Senator from Utah and was very conservative. Mike Lee was challenging him in the primary (in 2010, Lee actually beat Bennett in that primary and is currently in his 14th year in the United States Senate).

You'll hear McAvoy mention that Lee proposed repealing the 14th Amendment. That's the amendment protecting citizenship, due process, equal protection, and the rights of citizens. And it's true that Lee campaigned on that and has since advocated weakening it on several occasions.

In this scene, McAvoy explains what happened with the Tea Party:

 

[michael hagerty]

Are you begging Lance to shut this thread down (might not be the worst idea, actually)?

Honest answer----how could I possibly know? That would depend entirely on the Republican Party. Right now, the vast majority of the party's electeds have surrendered their independence and abandoned their role in a government of laws with three independent branches of government in order to advance Trump's agenda.

So, I can't vote for any of them. They're not doing their damn jobs, not listening to the people and not even pretending to (see: "Don't attend your own town hall").

The only likely scenario of a massive turnover in GOP candidates would be a catastrophic failure of the current administration---something Watergate-level.

But I can't even picture a mass "Holy shit, we're sorry we did that!" from them precisely because their media is polarized poisoned to the point that you have shows like Gutfeld:

Gutfeld sparks backlash after reclaiming Nazi as his own ‘n-word’: ‘Beneath contempt’

‘You know what? I’ve said this before. We need to learn from the Blacks. The way they were able to remove the power from the n-word by using it,” Greg Gutfeld declared on Tuesday.

www.the-independent.com

...which emboldens the worst of the candidates and desensitizes once otherwise decent Americans to the point that they won't draw a line and insist on having their views represented by something better, which is what I did in 2017.

And here's how far it's gone. While we've been here, having this conversation, the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, on his own Truth Social platform, posted a video montage of Democrats saying the phrase "no one is above the law." That's followed by Pepe the Frog in a clown wig honking his clown nose.

Then, at the 39 second mark, the Village People's "YMCA" begins to play as an AI-manipulated video shows FBI agents placing former president Barack Obama under arrest in the oval office, forcing him to his knees and handcuffing him as Trump watches, smiling.

Truth Social

Truth Social is America's "Big Tent" social media platform that encourages an open, free, and honest global conversation without discriminating on the basis of political ideology.

truthsocial.com

This is apparently a spinoff of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's accusation (without evidence) of a "treasonous conspiracy" involving the 2016 election.

Toxic shit reinforced by a toxic right-wing media environment.

Every day, it's a new "how can this not be a deal-breaker for you?"

 

[KentBrockman]

(Let's see if I can summon Lance with this incantation)

Unless Ellison sells it to Trump and he turns it into a strip club and cryptocoin vending machine arcade.

I just had Fremantle North America pop in my head as a potential buyer. I think the Ed Sullivan theater would be a great venue for America's Got Talent/American Idol or any other game show productions they have. It would be a bigger east coast presence for them; they'd probably want a huge tax incentive to make it happen though.

 

[michael hagerty]

I just had Fremantle North America pop in my head as a potential buyer. I think the Ed Sullivan theater would be a great venue for America's Got Talent/American Idol or any other game show productions they have. It would be a bigger east coast presence for them; they'd probably want a huge tax incentive to make it happen though.

The 30% New York State tax credit most likely would apply to them.

 

[Loverofradio]

I just want to add. As someone who currently works at a cbs affiliate, we’ve been given no indication the time slot will go back to affiliates. We would need to know that starting now because our station has sales commitments as well. I’ve got a hard time believing CBS doesn’t have something planned. Late night tv will always be here. Kimmel and Fallon are going to be here for 2026 and beyond. Although I do wish CBS partnered with Barstool, because it could’ve strategically helped in late nights and in sports. CBS will be fine and will not die in the next year or five.

 

[Loverofradio]

What sales demo covers "like Hee Haw" vs. "Likes E.R."? The attitude that CBS had was more about the perception of "The Tiffany Network" being considered to be less sophisticated.

lol they used to air NASCAR races in the 90s and 2000s and SEC football until two years ago 🤣🤣🤣

 

[KentBrockman]

The 30% New York State tax credit most likely would apply to them.

Ok... I'm going with my prediction of Fremantle as the buyer. We'll see what happens.

Longshot prediction.... All your favorite big names in music appearing weekly... live streamed from "The Ed Sullivan Theater Concert Series powered by Netflix" 😄

 

[KentBrockman]

I just want to add. As someone who currently works at a cbs affiliate, we’ve been given no indication the time slot will go back to affiliates. We would need to know that starting now because our station has sales commitments as well. I’ve got a hard time believing CBS doesn’t have something planned. Late night tv will always be here. Kimmel and Fallon are going to be here for 2026 and beyond. Although I do wish CBS partnered with Barstool, because it could’ve strategically helped in late nights and in sports. CBS will be fine and will not die in the next year or five.

Counter programming from the news division possibly.

 

[michael hagerty]

I just want to add. As someone who currently works at a cbs affiliate, we’ve been given no indication the time slot will go back to affiliates. We would need to know that starting now because our station has sales commitments as well. I’ve got a hard time believing CBS doesn’t have something planned.

The network didn't give 12:35 back. They're not going to give 11:35 back.

Comics Unleashed starts September 22 at 12:35. It'll have eight months. If it does well, it could move to 11:35 or expand to back-to-back episodes covering both timeslots. Or---maybe---CBS might give 12:35 back to the stations.

We'll see.

 

[michael hagerty]

Counter programming from the news division possibly.

Paramount's not about to spend money to create a news show, especially with no guarantee that Ellison wants such a thing.

 

[Rusty Muck]

The network didn't give 12:35 back. They're not going to give 11:35 back.

Comics Unleashed starts September 22 at 12:35. It'll have eight months. If it does well, it could move to 11:35 or expand to back-to-back episodes covering both timeslots. Or---maybe---CBS might give 12:35 back to the stations.

We'll see.

I guess Byron Allen was able to take over CBS after all.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Here was the time when Colbert was in the process of Leaving the Colbert Report on Comedy Central to take over the Late Show Spot from David Letterman.

 

[gopher101media]

I just want to add. As someone who currently works at a cbs affiliate, we’ve been given no indication the time slot will go back to affiliates. We would need to know that starting now because our station has sales commitments as well. I’ve got a hard time believing CBS doesn’t have something planned. Late night tv will always be here. Kimmel and Fallon are going to be here for 2026 and beyond. Although I do wish CBS partnered with Barstool, because it could’ve strategically helped in late nights and in sports. CBS will be fine and will not die in the next year or five.

I still see CBS being around in the years to come but I could not see either Kimmel or Fallon remaining that long as both NBC and ABC respectively are likely asking themselves is it going to be worth it given all of the circumstances. Fallon will be around until 2028 (When his contract is set to run out) for sure.

 

[gopher101media]

Seattle-Tacoma was kind of a strange market in the 1960s and 1970s, in that they had two VHF independents in a market that probably wasn't large enough to support them along with a full network complement of stations. KTVW-13 was especially challenged.

That is true due to the fact that the population of the Seattle metropolitan area was not as much as it is now (The population of the area in question had hit the 2,000,000 mark before 1980) and there was a economic downturn that also occurred. In the 1980's the economic situation changed for the better.