David Letterman recently slammed CBS and Skydance executives, calling them “goons” following the controversial cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Letterman accused the network of political motivations behind the decision,

Since then, Colbert has been ripping into Donald Trump with renewed relish, often while also flaying CBS and its parent company, Paramount. By doubling down on attacking his most powerful enemy, at a time when network execs are facing such intense scrutiny for what many believe was a politically motivated firing,

When Stephen Colbert became a financial disaster for CBS, its execs fired him. For good measure, they also killed the “The Late Show,” the network’s failing 33-year-old flag-ship late-night program. CBS could have axed Colbert now and replaced him with a cheaper host from Hollywood’s limitless stable of professional Trump haters.

The FCC still hasn’t approved the Paramount-Skydance merger, which may be where Colbert joins the saga. The cheeky host roasts Trump regularly on his show and is far more political than David Letterman, whom he replaced in 2015. On July 14, Colbert called the Paramount payment to Trump involving "60 Minutes" a “ big, fat bribe ,” on CBS’s own air.

The silencing of jokes and jabs on network airwaves shatters a tangible demonstration of nuanced thinking, free speech and philosophical complexity.

CBS canceled Stephen Colbert’s late-night show. Democrat Minnesota Gov. and failed vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz, who recently appeared on the

In a direct and unequivocal response, Stephen Colbert addressed former President Donald Trump during Monday night’s broadcast of The Late Show, following Trump’s celebratory remarks regarding the cancellation of Colbert’s program.

Like Stephen Colbert, the Smothers Brothers enjoyed top ratings, and they had a history of refusing to avoid sensitive topics, regularly airing anti-Vietnam War and pro-civil rights segments at a time when such material was scarce on network television.

The first politician to weigh in happened to be the show’s July 17 guest, Sen. Adam B. Schiff, D-Calif. He posted on social media, “Just finished taping with Stephen Colbert … If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.”

CBS’ decision to cut ties with Stephen Colbert and its decades-old “Late Show” franchise come next May will leave a major hole in the format — but one that has been widening. TV networks have been cutting costs at their late-night mainstays for the past few years.

Jill Abramson, a former executive editor of The New York Times, teaches journalism at Northeastern University and is a contributing Globe Opinion writer.