Will you join me in signing the petition to keep "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" on-air ahead of MoveOn's petition delivery to CBS and Paramount Global?
Dear MoveOn member,
Ben Cohen here—co-founder of Ben & Jerry's. Yes, the guy who started the ice cream company that actually made a delicious flavor in honor of a deliciously incisive and insightful public voice: "Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream."
Today I'm reaching out to you in a personal capacity, as both a fan of Colbert and a staunch defender of progressive change. Like so many of you, I was disappointed to learn CBS and Paramount Global were planning to sunset "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" next summer—but sadly, I can’t say I was surprised.1
See, when corporations get too big and powerful and when their money gets blended into our nation's politics, things always go south. So was I surprised that Donald Trump would be thin-skinned about a comedian lampooning him? Or that CBS's corporate overlords would unethically curry favor with a would-be autocrat for their own billion-dollar merger? I may not have been shocked—but I was outraged.
Trump and Paramount Global and CBS are embracing a dangerous mix of Big Money, political access, censorship, and intimidation. Together, we can remind them who they answer to—everyday viewers like you and me. And I'm planning to personally be there next to MoveOn members when we deliver these signatures—scooping ice cream to celebrate the sweet and successful work Colbert has done for years!
Add your name to the petition to join the more than 125,000 MoveOn members whose signatures we'll deliver to CBS and Paramount Global, urging them to keep Colbert on-air!
Even the speculation that CBS and Paramount Global canceled "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" due to Colbert’s criticism of the corporation's $16 million settlement with Trump is harmful to the integrity of our free press.2 And the fact that this all unfolded amid a merger between Paramount Global and Skydance—a merger that requires federal approval—makes it all the more suspect.3
Taking a page out of the authoritarian handbook, Trump has worked to undermine and erode independent media since his first term—sowing public distrust in news outlets, spreading disinformation, slashing public media funding, and limiting reporters' access to the White House.
The cancellation of "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" is about more than just one late-night show. It's about who is able to contribute to the public narrative and whether media figures have the freedom to call out our government and megacorporations without retaliation. Our democracy depends on us fighting back, and we need Colbert's bold, fearless commentary as we work to defend our future.
The 10-year anniversary of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” is coming up, and MoveOn is planning to deliver the signatures directly to CBS and Paramount Global. We’d love your name to be part of that event. I plan on going with them—I want to be there in person, and I want to scoop out ice cream to fellow MoveOn members I meet.
Add your name to the petition NOW and share it with three friends to keep the AmeriCone Dream alive.
Thanks for all you do.
–Ben Cohen
Sources:
1. "Colbert skewers CBS, Paramount over decision to cancel 'Late Show,'" The Hill, July 22, 2025
https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5412964-colbert-criticizes-cbs-paramount/
2. "Cancelling Colbert, bribery, an $8bn deal: what’s going on at Paramount?" The Guardian, July 19, 2025
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/jul/19/paramount-cbs-trump
3. Ibid.
You're receiving this petition because we thought it might interest you. It was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online petitions. You can start your own petition here.
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