David Letterman recently slammed CBS and Skydance executives, calling them “goons” following the controversial cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Letterman accused the network of political motivations behind the decision,

Since then, Colbert has been ripping into Donald Trump with renewed relish, often while also flaying CBS and its parent company, Paramount. By doubling down on attacking his most powerful enemy, at a time when network execs are facing such intense scrutiny for what many believe was a politically motivated firing,

In a direct and unequivocal response, Stephen Colbert addressed former President Donald Trump during Monday night’s broadcast of The Late Show, following Trump’s celebratory remarks regarding the cancellation of Colbert’s program.

The silencing of jokes and jabs on network airwaves shatters a tangible demonstration of nuanced thinking, free speech and philosophical complexity.

Like Stephen Colbert, the Smothers Brothers enjoyed top ratings, and they had a history of refusing to avoid sensitive topics, regularly airing anti-Vietnam War and pro-civil rights segments at a time when such material was scarce on network television.

CBS says its decision to end Stephen Colbert’s late-night comedy show is financial, not political. Yet even with the ample skepticism about that explanation, there's no denying the economics were not working in Colbert's favor.

The FCC still hasn’t approved the Paramount-Skydance merger, which may be where Colbert joins the saga. The cheeky host roasts Trump regularly on his show and is far more political than David Letterman, whom he replaced in 2015. On July 14, Colbert called the Paramount payment to Trump involving "60 Minutes" a “ big, fat bribe ,” on CBS’s own air.

The first politician to weigh in happened to be the show’s July 17 guest, Sen. Adam B. Schiff, D-Calif. He posted on social media, “Just finished taping with Stephen Colbert … If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.”

Stephen Colbert’s Most Memorable Political Commentary of 2016. The CBS host, even after shedding his 'Colbert Report' character, uses the late-night stage for some subtle (and some not-so-subtle ...

Jill Abramson, a former executive editor of The New York Times, teaches journalism at Northeastern University and is a contributing Globe Opinion writer.