Skydance is maintaining its innocence in the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
On Thursday, Skydance General Counsel Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon responded to a letter sent earlier this month by Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Ron Wyden, which sought transparency regarding the company’s role in CBS’s programming decision. (Skydance is set to acquire CBS as part of its larger acquisition of Paramount Global.)
In her response, McKinnon affirmed that Skydance was “not involved” in the cancellation.
She acknowledged that Skydance was given notice of the decision ahead of the public announcement, “but only after Paramount reached its own independent decision, and shortly before Paramount publicly acknowledged the cancellation.”
That sequence of events aligns with reporting by Lesley Goldberg in The Ankler, who wrote that Skydance was informed just hours before Colbert made his announcement.
In May, the three senators had sent a letter to Paramount Global Chair Shari Redstone suggesting that CBS’s settlement in former President Donald Trump’s 60 Minutes lawsuit could constitute a violation of federal bribery laws. On July 22, they followed up with another letter—this time to Skydance Media CEO David Ellison—reiterating their concerns and citing the cancellation of The Late Show, which occurred “just three days after Colbert criticized Paramount’s $16 million settlement” on-air.
“These reports raise fresh questions about corruption in the Trump Administration and President Trump’s willingness to accept payments from entities with significant policy interests before agencies he controls,” the senators wrote, before going on to address the Colbert cancellation directly.
“Were you or other Skydance executives involved in discussions about canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert? If so, please provide information regarding the timing, nature of, and participants in these discussions, including whether the pending transaction with Paramount was discussed,” the letter continued.
With the FCC’s recent approval of the deal, Skydance is expected to close its merger wuth Paramount on August 7.
Paramount/CBS does NOT owe the outside world an answer with something that pertains to their Business. Stephen is an EMPLOYEE with a contract that is likely NON “Pay and Play.” I wonder if Skydance/CBS would sell the “Late Show” franchise to a willing buyer all in-tact.