On Saturday's edition of MSNBC's The Weekend, former NPR president and CEO Vivian Schiller, commenting on the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's show, said:
"Stephen Colbert is unafraid to speak truth to power. He does it in a very bipartisan way over the years. And comedy and parody is [sic] an important part of a democratic ecosystem. "
Yes, so bipartisan that, as NewsBuster Alex Christy has reported, in the first half of 2025, Colbert hosted 14 partisan officials, more than any of the other daily late-night comedy shows. All 14 were Democrats, none were Republicans.
When it came to journalists and celebrities, Colbert again led all hosts with 29. All 29 were liberals--zero conservatives.
It don't git no more bipartisan than that!
When Schiller said that "comedy and parody is an important part of a democratic ecosystem," she presumably had small 'd' democratic in mind. But the reality is that when it comes to the late-night shows, they are an important part of the capital 'D' Democratic ecosystem!
Earlier in the segment, commenting on the federal defunding of NPR and PBS, Schiller made a very surprising admission:
"In many cases, I have long believed that mixing journalism and federal funding is just a recipe for disaster. So in many ways I think this is an opportunity for a reset . . . Let's just find a better way forward, because there were problems with the former system."
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
The Weekend
7/19/25
9:35 am EDT
JONATHAN CAPEHART: But I want to shift gears for a moment and just get 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 media in general and media in the world of a Donald Trump presidency.VIVIAN SCHILLER: Yeah, well, look, this has 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 they hope to be the new parent company—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 very bipartisan way over the years. And comedy and parody is an important part of a democratic ecosystem. And the chilling effect is certainly concerning.
