There’s a reason coverage of Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” series finale was missing from “CBS Mornings” last week, despite being industry-shaping news impacting the Eye Network.
CBS News President Tom Cibrowski reportedly directed “CBS Mornings” to ignore Colbert‘s final “Late Show” episode over lingering resentment about a joke the late night host made directed at “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil and Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss.
Puck’s Matthew Belloni first reported the news Tuesday, writing that the lack of acknowledgment of Colbert’s send-off on “CBS Mornings” last week was the result of a “specific directive” issued by Cibrowski.
“That wasn’t an oversight,” according to Belloni. “I’m told the ghosting was a specific directive from CBS News President Tom Cibrowski, who hated Colbert’s recent bit mocking their failure to secure a China visa for anchor Tony Dokoupil.”
Puck added that an individual with knowledge of the decision said the feeling was Colbert “kicked colleagues when they were down” and that the joke was “unprofessional and unprovoked.”
Representatives for CBS declined to comment for TheWrap’s reporting.
The joke in question saw Colbert mock Dokoupil for reporting about President Donald Trump’s recent trip to China from “The Wrong China” because the “Evening News” anchor was forced to broadcast his coverage from Taiwan over a behind-the-scenes visa issue.
The segment also depicted Dokoupil as a man trapped with his head in a pumpkin and CBS News Editor-in-chief Bari Weiss as an older woman coming in to hit the pumpkin with a tiny mallet to try to help him. You can watch the segment in question below.
According to Belloni, CBS News execs, including Cibrowski, felt that Colbert had not shown support for the division, despite its members having previously supported the late night host after “The Late Show” cancellation announcement was issued last year and during his recent battle with the FCC. At the same time, Cibrowski’s directive was not a “complete gag order,” as anchor Gayle King shared a lengthy farewell to Colbert on the night of his finale.
Notably, “CBS Mornings” was not the only morning program to skip coverage of the “Late Show” finale on Friday — ABC’s “Good Morning America” also did not do a wrap-up piece on Colbert’s goodbye.
The post ‘CBS Mornings’ Skipped ‘Late Show’ Finale Coverage Over Colbert’s Tony Dokoupil-Bari Weiss Joke appeared first on TheWrap.
