CBS stops its effort to halt sharing of Colbert's public access show appearance after massive backlash

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Monday 25 May 2026 10:47 EDT


CBS slapped online users with requests that videos must be removed after they shared footage of Stephen Colbert’s surprise return to late-night television Friday, before the network swiftly backtracked on its copyright threats.

Colbert thrilled fans just 24 hours after his departure from The Late Show by appearing as the host of Only in Monroe, the same local access show in Michigan he commandeered for one night shortly before starting his stint on the CBS program 11 years ago. Short clips and full uploads of the episode, which featured musician Jack White, a skit from actor Steve Buscemi, and a cameo from Eminem, were posted online before Colbert launched his own official YouTube channel, beating him to the punch.

Media outlet The Desk was among the publications struck with a copyright infringement notice after its upload of the episode received more than 700,000 views. Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the owner of the content can request that a website take down the content if it was posted without permission.

“Paramount is apparently trying to suppress copies of ‘Only in Monroe’ from appearing on other social platforms by filing frivolous copyright notices, even though the show was produced by a public access TV channel and doesn't use their intellectual property…,” The Desk’s founder editor Matthew Keys wrote early on Sunday in a post on X. Following backlash, CBS said in a statement to Variety that it was waiving the notices while it reviewed the situation.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/cbs-copyright-stephen-colbert-michigan-show-b2983152.html

[The Roux Comes First]

1. Good Lord, Talk About Tone-deaf!!

CBS has officially left the building.

[Roy Rolling]

33. Cancel Paramount Plus

We are helpless, but canceling Paramount Plus made me feel better. Canceling Disney Plus brought Jimmy Kimmel back. Hit them in their pocketbook.

[Bengus81]

37. Beat me to it....

[Danascot]

40. I cancelled on May 22

the day after Colbert's last show.

[wolfie001]

41. BOOST!!!

CANCEL PARAMOUNT PLUS!!! 💯👏 Rename the campaign: 'Paramount Bust!'

[Cha]

36. And, Grotesque Greed!

who does that remind us of.

[ck4829]

2. The Devin Nunes Effect, formerly known as the Streisand Effect

[Brother Buzz]

12. Word!

[LiberalArkie]

3. They are so used to shutting down people with the DMCA that they never realized that they did not

own the copyrights to the show. Ellison is totally out of his league.

[onenote]

5. Actually they do own the relevant copyright.

Sending the DMCA notices was extremely tone-deaf on the part of CBS, but it wasn't "frivolous" from a legal standpoint. As CBS noted -- with no pushback from Monroe County or Colbert -- “Stephen Colbert’s return to Monroe in the ‘Only in Monroe’ episode was financed and produced by CBS Studios and was posted on Stephen Colbert’s YouTube channel in collaboration with Monroe Community Media and ‘The Late Show’s’ YouTube channels.”

[BuddhaGirl]

6. Actually Letterman

owns the trademark of The Late Show, under which Colbert was operating

[LiberalArkie]

19. Yep, World Wide Pants owns the show. CBS just aired it.. Kind of like the Lucelle Ball shows under Desilu.

CBS just had a contract with WWP to produced shows for X amount of money.

[onenote]

54. WWP has granted CBS a license. And a licensee can sue for infringement of its license.

Which is probably the situation here -- although CBS didn't sue, but instead invoked the notice and takedown provisions of the DMCA.

I should emphAsize that as I've stated multiple time on this thread -- CBS exercised extraordinarily poor judgment in invoking the DMCA and, not surprisingly, had to back down.

[LiberalArkie]

55. I had a license to use Windows, does that mean I can sue to prevent anyone else from using it?

[onenote]

57. Depends on the license. And in your case, no.

[wolfie001]

42. He's always been scum

Working his slimy, oily and shitty programmers into every business. Since the '90s. Pure evil. Amoral billionaire. Does zero societal good.

[LiberalArkie]

44. I have been in tech my who 78 years, and Ellison has always been a POS in my thinking. And I do not even

remember why.

[wolfie001]

47. LOL! 35 years of knowing he's a flaming POS

Him and Peter Thiel in their Cali mountain retreats. Guard towers just like a James Bond movie.

[LiberalArkie]

49. I did some research and I think it goes back to him creating Oracle on a government contract and

then selling it commercially, but Ashton Tate that created dBase 3 created debase and was disallowed from selling it.

[The Blue Flower]

4. Do they think Mr. Colbert is still under contract with them?

They don't own him any more, the fools.

[magicarpet]

7. Is there a 5 to 7 year non compete clause to his contract at CBS after he leaves the show ?

[barbtries]

11. they fired him.

even if there was such a clause, I don't see it applying in this case. If he had a choice he'd still be working for them.

[BidenRocks]

8. I remember cbs.

Now I will never forget!
CLICK!

[nuxvomica]

9. Anybody see the latest season of "Hacks"?

It's all about the network boss (Tony Goldwyn) cancelling Deborah Vance's (Jean Smart) late-night talk-show because she refused his orders and said so on the show. Because he is personally embarrassed, he imposes an 18-month performance gag on her, trying to end her career, but she turns the tables on him. The parallels to CBS's treatment of Colbert are eerie. Over 2,000 years ago, Aristotle figured out that such hubris leads to one's downfall. Too bad the failed actor and nepo-bully Ellison never learned that lesson.

[ALBliberal]

22. Thanks I think I will watch!

[slightlv]

30. Ellison, like the other tech bros,

are intent on owning us and the world, wholly and completely. They're tired of trying to make us "see" the errors of our ways, and fall in line with their "enlightened philosophy." So, they're just doing what they want to do because no one can stop them. Kinda like trump.

Apologies for those who see the following as religious in nature... but unless "good" can come up with a viable way to vanquish "evil" this is our life from now on, IMO. To note: I don't see good and evil as religious entities or aspects. I see them as elements of the world we live in. Where one thing can be both, or neither. Technology is an excellent example. Wonderful benefits to humanity when used correctly and research is done in earnest with honesty and transparency paramount. But most usually, the beneficial aspects are thrown out the door because the harm it can do in its use is way too profitable to ignore for these people. Their only philosophy boils down to Me - good and necessary. You - unwashed and unnecessary. You will, therefore, die for the betterment of the world.

[nuxvomica]

34. I see a different dichotomy

Last edited Mon May 25, 2026, 07:23 PM - Edit history (1)

It's not so much good vs. evil as innocence vs. corruption and instead of being inspired by religion it's based on the hero cycle of myth and literature. I see the bad guys as suffering from arrested development, as being unable to navigate the world safely without building walls around themselves and forcing people to do their bidding. Stuart Smalley, the Al Franken character, often advised, "Better to put on a pair of slippers than to carpet the world." People like Ellison insist on carpeting the world, and charging you for walking on the carpet. He's a classic example of someone who hasn't faced the challenges most of us have because he grew up wealthy and cossetted.

There are a couple of posts in my journal that go into more detail on this, if you are interested:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/~nuxvomica

[slightlv]

50. My only problem with your view is I see innocence as lost at this point.

We've all been poisoned. Although I will say reading your post had a little light off on in my head and, tho it won't help anyone else, it might help pull me out of the cratering funk I'm in. So I thank you mightily for that.

[nuxvomica]

51. It can be reclaimed

Innocence in youth may be coincidental with a lack of awareness of the world's corruption but that awareness does not mean a loss of innocence, rather it calls for a commitment to fight that corruption. We have the power to do so.

[OldBaldy1701E]

39. Again, allow me to correct this sentence.

So, they're just doing what they want to do because no one can wants to stop them.

They could be easily stopped. We just don't want to because of the ramifications of doing so.

So...

[Dulcinea]

48. Nepo baby Ellison is a failed actor?

That explains a lot.

[barbtries]

10. it's must see TV.

so funny.

[Euphoria]

13. Brilliant!

yet just another brilliant move by Colbert.
It's a charming episode too. I'm hooked.

[Figarosmom]

14. How on earth could they claim copyright?

They didn't want him.

[onenote]

53. According to what has been reported, CBS Studios financed and produced the episode.

[FakeNoose]

15. I'm not understanding this news story....

Are they saying that it was the 11-year-old show that was replayed on Friday night? Or was it an all-new show where Stephen Colbert came in person to do the show?

It seems to be a replay of the old show ... but they never actually say that in the news story.

[ClickClack]

31. It was a brand-new show. Try to keep up. ;) (eom)

Last edited Mon May 25, 2026, 06:19 PM - Edit history (1)

[caraher]

32. No, it's an all-new show

Colbert went back to Monroe and filmed it right after his CBS show ended.

[Justice matters.]

16. Talk about their "Cancel Culture" propaganda...

Every accusation from Republicrooks is a confession.

[ck4829]

25. Right?

[Old Crank]

17. Should sue Paramount and CBS

This is essentially a SLAP suit action.

[tavernier]

18. Why did they not mention Jeff Daniels?

He was Colbert’s guest star and he was on about half of the show. They were a riot together.

[Botany]

20. I promise not to share the brilliance of Colbert's "Only in Monroe" appearance.

He, Jack White, the 2 Monroe hosts, Jeff Daniels, and the one person who brought out the props
just absolutely crushed it. It would be funny if “Only in Monroe” just blew up.

[VMA131Marine]

21. Ending the show with a dumpster fire 🔥 was brilliant.

[Botany]

26. No wonder Trump posted some A.I. slop the next day of him putting Stephen in a dumpster.

Colbert along with Obama, AOC, and the Clintons live in Trump’s head and it is killing him.

I want some only in Monroe merch. That was brilliant.

[Karma13612]

29. Thanks for providing the link! Just watched it....so funny! Eom

[progressoid]

46. Love all the musical refences to Michigan

[ALBliberal]

23. Colbert is genius. He was bound to get the last jab!!!

[IbogaProject]

24. I wish the CEO and major shareholders were arrested for this

To claim copyright on something not owned in an attempt to suppress a viral public access media item is criminal. It amounts to fraud to file these notices, especially if it forced third parties to remove the legal content.

[dickthegrouch]

35. Some attorneys should be disbarred too. /nt

[onenote]

52. Are you certain CBS didn't own rights in the episode

They stated that the episode "was financed and produced by CBS Studios and was posted on Colbert’s YouTube channel in collaboration with Monroe Community Media and “The Late Show’s” YouTube channels." That suggests that CBS did indeed have copyright ownership of the episode, in which case its takedown notices, while representing a massive error in judgment, were not legally frivolous.

For the record, I've represented copyright owners and copyright users with respect to DMCA-related matters since the day the law was enacted (and represented some parties during the negotiations between copyright owners and users that led to the enactment of the statute).

[PhilG]

27. Not A Viewer

I wish I could call the local station and tell them that I will no longer watch Colbert or any of their programing, but since they moved their transmitting tower years ago, we have not been able to watch CBS since there is a line of hills blocking their signal plus we don't have cable because it's too damn expensive.

We do watch Colbert on YouTube though

[TexasBushwhacker]

56. Exactly - if broadcast networks can't figure out

how to adequately monetize streaming content, that's on THEM.

But let's not kid ourselves. The real "financial decision" was that nepo baby Shari Redstone wanted the merger with Skydance to go through, because she would net approximately $500 Million. That's right, half a BILLION dollars. National Amusements/Paramount/CBS was in a debt crunch, so that was all cleared.

Now nepo baby David Ellison is in control of Skydance/Paramount.

[Blue Owl]

28. CBS can fuck all the way off as they plummet towards extinction

[Bengus81]

38. The place is imploding right before rich fuck Ellison's eyes.......

About time for them to go full FOX v.2

[DownriverDem]

43. Don't forget who else was on

Michigan's own Jeff Daniels was on. It was really funny.

[BradBo]

45. A touch off Korea and Soviet control. Just testing the waters.