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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Justice matters.]

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

Every accusation from Republicrooks is a confession.

[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.