On Monday morning, David Letterman — a man known more in recent years for his beard than his broadcast commentary — posted a 22-minute montage to YouTube. The upload was simple: a collection of his old jokes about CBS. No narration. No graphics. No editorial.

Just clips.

The title? “You Can’t Spell CBS Without BS.”

There was no introduction, no commentary beyond those six words. And yet, the message was unmistakable — and for those who still remember Letterman as the architect of The Late Show, it felt like something more than solidarity. It felt like a line being drawn.

Because when David Letterman — the man who built the stage Stephen Colbert now stands on — decides to say something, he usually waits until it’s too late to ignore.

And CBS, already under fire for cancelling its top-rated late-night franchise, is now facing a crisis that doesn’t sound like PR fallout.

It sounds like payback.

The Video That Wasn’t a Statement, But Spoke Volumes

Letterman’s montage included eight moments from his time hosting The Late Show, spanning two decades. The clips had one thing in common: every single one of them took aim at CBS.

From a 1994 gag where he joked CBS stood for “Confused But Smiling,” to a 2001 line about the network caring “less about ratings than viewers,” the video reads not as nostalgia — but as warning.

The final frame freezes on Letterman at his desk, smirking. A caption appears:

“You should’ve listened.”

Nothing about the video is spontaneous. It’s edited, selected, timed — and crucially, dropped just hours before Colbert was scheduled to return for his first show since the cancellation announcement.

It’s not hard to see what Letterman is doing.
What’s harder is pretending it’s not working.

A Cancellation That Made No Sense — Until It Did

On paper, CBS’s decision to end The Late Show made no sense. The program remains the top-rated late-night show on network television. Its digital presence is dominant. Colbert’s interviews consistently generate viral traction, and his critiques — often political, always pointed — have become a fixture in American cultural discourse.

Yet on July 22, CBS and parent company Paramount Global released a joint statement announcing that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end its run in May 2026.

The rationale?

“A purely financial decision in a challenging late-night landscape.”

What followed was a public relations firestorm.

Colbert, who had remained silent for days, finally responded on-air.

“They killed the show,” he said. “But they left me alive.”

And with that, the real show began.

The Segment That Changed Everything

Colbert’s first night back was a mixture of gratitude and something colder. He thanked his staff. He greeted his audience. But the jokes, usually effortless, came with weight. His eyes didn’t move like they used to — they fixed themselves on the camera with a different kind of precision.

Midway through the show, Colbert took a shot at the former president who had celebrated his cancellation online.

Reading a social media post in which he was called “untalented,” Colbert raised an eyebrow and said:

“How dare you, sir. Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism?”

The camera cut to a close-up. His mouth blurred. His voice muted. But the meaning wasn’t lost.

Later, Colbert addressed CBS’s claim that the decision was financial:

“How can it be ‘purely financial’ if the show is number one?”

There was no answer.

Only a stunned audience that, for the first time in years, saw a host drop the mask and simply speak.

Letterman’s Message Lands Where CBS Hurts Most

David Letterman has rarely spoken publicly about CBS since retiring from The Late Show in 2015. His exit, though publicly amicable, was shadowed by years of creative tension and disagreements about direction, guests, and tone.

By resurfacing those old jokes — in the exact moment CBS is again facing backlash over the treatment of its late-night talent — Letterman isn’t just defending Colbert.

He’s reminding CBS of its history of getting rid of its best people the moment they become difficult to manage.

“David doesn’t need to say much,” one longtime CBS executive told The Hollywood Reporter.
“His silence has always been louder than our statements. But this? This was deliberate.”

And the audience heard it.

The Merger That Pulled the Strings

While CBS claims Colbert’s cancellation had nothing to do with “other matters happening at Paramount,” few in the industry buy it.

Just days before the announcement, CBS’s parent company quietly paid $16 million to settle a lawsuit involving 60 Minutes — a case that had drawn scrutiny from conservative media and figures closely aligned with the previous administration.

Paramount is also finalizing an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media — a deal that requires regulatory approval and favorable press.

In this context, silencing Colbert — a host known for his sharp political commentary — starts to look less like budget control and more like a strategic chess move.

And if you believe that narrative, then Letterman’s six words aren’t just sarcasm. They’re an indictment.

Late-Night Stands Up — But Will It Matter?

Colbert isn’t alone. Jon Stewart, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and John Oliver have all expressed outrage, both publicly and privately, at what they see as a systemic effort to neuter late-night.

Even The Daily Show — now back under Stewart’s guidance — devoted a full segment to defending Colbert.

“This is not the moment to give in,” Stewart said.
“I’m not giving in. I’m not going anywhere. I think.”

There’s a sense that something larger is happening — that this isn’t about a show ending, but about a model collapsing. One in which truth, humor, and critique are becoming liabilities instead of assets.

And that scares people.

Not just in television.But in politics.

And in power.

Conclusion: Six Words. One Legacy. And a Network That Just Lost Its Compass

“You can’t spell CBS without BS.”

It’s a joke. But it’s not funny.

Because when David Letterman — the man who defined The Late Show — posts a public takedown of the network that made him, and does so just as Colbert is being pushed out, the implications are clear.

This isn’t just about one show.

It’s about a media environment that has forgotten what satire is for.It’s about a network that spent years building a platform — only to tear it down when it got too real.

And it’s about what happens when the people who taught America how to laugh finally stop laughing themselves.

Letterman didn’t need to give a speech.
He gave history.

And now CBS will have to answer for it — not in a press release, but in the one place they’ve never been able to control:

The audience.

Disclaimer: This article combines editorial analysis, cultural commentary, and public media reporting to reflect industry dynamics and evolving sentiment around CBS and The Late Show. Interpretive narrative structure is employed to convey broader themes of institutional trust and media integrity. All references align with publicly verifiable sources at the time of publication.