David Letterman discharged on CBS and Skydance on Friday for canceling “The Late Show”, which he launched 32 years ago, saying that the network had mistreated his successor, Stephen Colbert.
In an interview published on his YouTube channel, Letterman said that he did not buy the official explanation that the program had been canceled for financial reasons.
“It’s pure cowardice,” said Letterman. “They didn’t do the right thing. They did not manage Stephen Colbert – the face of this network – in the way he deserves to have been manipulated. ”
Letterman made his first comments on the cancellation in an interview Zoom with Barbara Gaines, who was an executive producer of “The Late Show” for 15 years.
He also raised the payment of $ 16 million in paramount to settle the trial of President Trump on an “60 -minute” interview, saying that the company had “decided that it did not care about press freedom”.
He also made fun of Skydance Media, soon the new owner of Paramount, asking if it is an airline at a reduced price and referring to the founder David Ellison as “The Oracle Twins”.
“The Ellison twins, the Oracle Boys, they do not want any problems in the sense of press freedom or freedom of expression or freedom of expression,” said Letterman. “They don’t want to get their hands dirty. They don’t want the government to pursue them, because this concept of press and freedom of expression – which is so old.”
Imaging a conversation between “Twins Ellison” and CBS, he suggested that the new owners wanted Colbert to ousted to avoid problems with the Trump administration.
“So they tell the people of the CBS,” Geez, what about this child, Stephen Colbert? He always pulls his mouth on the administration. We don’t want this type “,” said Letterman. “So the people of the CBS say:” Hey, the boys, here’s what I’m going to do. Not only are we going to get rid of this guy, we will get rid of all the franchise so as not to have to worry about another guy. Let’s go, my friend. “”
Reports said “The Late Show” lost $ 40 million to $ 50 million a year. But Letterman said he had found that it was an unbeatured excuse.
“This is what I know. If they lost this kind of money, you tell me that this kind of money occurred yesterday? ” He said. “I bet they lost this kind of money a month ago. I bet they lost this kind of money six weeks ago. Or they never lost money.”
As an end of evening host, Letterman has often made fun of his business suzerains in NBC and CBS. Colbert succeeded him in retirement in 2015.
He said he thought Colbert will be fine.
“For Steven, I love it. He’s a martyr,” he said. “So much the better for him. And if you listen carefully, you can hear them unrolling the chairs to the renowned temple for their enthronement, right? ”
