CBS Backs Down on Colbert Clip Crackdown After Backlash

The Paramount-owned network had been targeting unauthorized uploads of Colbert’s appearance on “Only in Monroe,” a Monroe Community Media public-access program the comedian famously hosted once in 2015 before launching his tenure at CBS’s “Late Show,” according to New York Post.

CBS Studios financed and produced the episode that aired Friday and quickly went viral over the weekend. Fans who had reposted the content to their own channels began reporting that they had received takedown notices from the network demanding removal of the pirated versions.

Network backs down amid censorship accusations

The broadcaster swiftly reversed its position as critics accused the company of heavy-handed censorship over what many viewed as a nostalgic farewell appearance.

A CBS spokesperson confirmed to New York Post that while the company routinely issues copyright notices to unauthorized websites posting content from CBS and its talent, for this episode, we have decided to waive further enforcement of this standard industry practice until additional review.

The spokesperson emphasized that Colbert’s return to Monroe was financed and produced by CBS Studios and posted on Colbert’s YouTube channel in collaboration with Monroe Community Media and “The Late Show” channels.

Former executive questions the arrangement

Derek Reisfield, a former CBS executive who co-founded MarketWatch, told New York Post that the takedown notices appeared to follow standard procedures for a major media company protecting intellectual property it financed and owned.

But Reisfield questioned why Colbert partnered with CBS on the Monroe production at all. He suggested the comedian could have produced the episode independently to ensure a clean separation from the network.

Colbert mocks CBS during low-budget return

Colbert’s Monroe appearance was billed as a nostalgic return to the stripped-down public-access format that preceded his 11-year run on CBS. His first appearance on “Only in Monroe” came just months before he debuted “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in 2015.

Last week’s return came less than 24 hours after his final CBS broadcast. During the low-budget production, Colbert repeatedly mocked his former corporate employer, joking that Monroe Community Media had “lost a lot of money making the show tonight” before deadpanning that he now understood how CBS felt.

He also took aim at the network’s streaming struggles, quipping that streaming was something he had “promised not to learn about” while at CBS, adding that “evidently, CBS also decided not to learn about it.”

The Monroe special featured guest appearances from Jack White, Jeff Daniels, Steve Buscemi, Byron Allen, and Eminem.

Unofficial uploads outperform official release

Unofficial YouTube uploads of the episode quickly gained traction online, with some outperforming Colbert’s official channel. One repost from a channel called “The Desk” accumulated more than 620,000 views compared to roughly 392,000 on Colbert’s official page at the time, according to reports.

Reisfield suggested CBS likely backed down because the optics of aggressively policing a sentimental public-access farewell were not worth the negative attention, particularly given Colbert’s ongoing popularity. He predicted the comedian could successfully leverage his large, dedicated following to launch new projects using social media channels outside the traditional television system.

With information from New York Post