Stephen Colbert’s post-Late Show return to Only in Monroe didn’t just give Michelle Baumann and Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson a memorable sendoff for their old set. It also gave Monroe Community Media a much-needed cash infusion.
WXYZ Detroit visited the Monroe, Michigan nonprofit Wednesday for a follow-up on Colbert’s surprise appearance, reporting that his visit has delivered a windfall for the public-access station between proceeds from The Late Show‘s Only in Monroe memorabilia auction, donated equipment from the show, a gift from CBS for the center’s high school summer program, and additional public donations from around the world since Colbert’s video dropped on YouTube.
“That is a major game changer,” Monroe Community Media creative director Genevieve Benson told WXYZ. Viewers may remember Benson for her unique onscreen chemistry with Colbert in the special itself. Asked whether her dialogue with the former Late Show host was planned or scripted, Benson said, “No, that was just good ol’ me interacting with Stephen.”
The auction alone has so far raised at least $10,341.70 across six Monroe-related items sold through The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s official eBay store. Those items included signed scripts from Colbert’s 2015 and 2026 Only in Monroe appearances, his coffee mug from the 2026 special, and autographed pieces of the show’s old set—the rest of which was destroyed in a dumpster fire during Colbert’s return visit.
According to Benson, the station’s set had remained largely unchanged since Colbert first guest-hosted Only in Monroe in 2015, shortly before taking over CBS’s Late Show from David Letterman. This time, Colbert returned with Jack White, Jeff Daniels, and some sledgehammers.
“Public access centers across the country are suffering from financial loss,” Benson said. “I was so grateful that they did destroy [the set] for us because we couldn’t afford a dumpster for ourselves, and to see it burst into flames was so beautiful. It’s so beautiful.”
In addition to running the city’s public access station, Monroe Community Media also operates a separate government access station, a community radio station, and offers media training & production facilities to Monroe County residents and nonprofit organizations. Donations can be made on its website.
Funds raised so far have enabled the nonprofit to hire operations manager Jerry Gysin full-time, while giving the station a chance to build a new set from the broken pieces of the old one.
“It was one era ending and a new one beginning,” Gysin said, calling Colbert’s return a “great learning experience.”
“To have a spotlight on this community is awesome, because I love Monroe,” Benson added.
Colbert’s latest Only in Monroe appearance was released on his newly launched YouTube channel at the same time it aired locally in Monroe, one day after his final CBS broadcast.
The Monroe fundraiser continued Colbert’s months-long charity auction streak, which began in the final stretch of The Late Show and raised $2.5 million for Chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen through a series of “Late Show Home Shopping” auctions and commemorative T-shirt sales.
As we’ve reported, the show is still raising funds nearly two weeks after its finale, with Colbert’s staff adding new items to its charity auction earlier this week.
Watch WXYZ’s full report below:
