CBS didn’t fire Colbert this year either. They decided not to renew his contract, which ends at the end the 2025/6 season. If they’d fired him, there would likely be large penalty clauses involved.

That's nitpicking. They decided they didn't want him to work for them anymore, thus they fired him. Just because you couch it in different terms doesn't make it any less true. Them doing it at a slightly less inconvenient time for them doesn't mean it was any less of a firing.

[–] Knightfox@lemmy.world 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I get calling it nitpicking to split hairs about when Colbert was fired, even if justified financially (obviously firing someone when there is a contractual penalty isn't the best business sense), but what are your thoughts on the last sentence the OP made? Yeah, Colbert was fired, whether he was fired today or two weeks ago it's till fired, but the network also choosing to not fill other unaffiliated and vacant late night slots does seem to give credence to the idea that they might just be trying to get away from late night shows.

[–] Zorque@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I wouldn't be surprised if that's part of it, but by no means is that all, or even necessarily most of it. There are far too many factors to pin it down to just one, and that one's a relatively minor one. Even if he's losing numbers, he's still a big draw. There'd have to be a lot of other major factors for them to drop him so suddenly.

[–] Knightfox@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

That's fair.

[–] acosmichippo@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

it’s not nitpicking. it directly relates to this point in the top comment:

If Colbert loses CBS $40M per year, it must have lost CBS $40M last year too. Yet CBS didn't fire him last year.

they made the same decision this year as they did last year, not to renew his contract. also as mentioned maybe the cost of breaking the contract was more than they were expecting to lose.