My analogy was intended more from the perspective of whatever choice the admins make is one we should respect, much like you would if you were a guest in someone's home.
And I think the Colbert example is a matter of perspective. I can see why you would think it was a political move, but to say that is "fact" is a logical jump. CBS was paying him $15 million a year. Was their ad revenue sufficient to make that a worthwhile investment? As a terrestrial network, they aren't getting carriage fees like a cable channel would.
His ratings at first glance look decent enough:
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But, when you take a deeper dive, his key demo numbers don't strike me as great, and that's what's going to drive ad revenue.
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Colbert was not even in the top 100 shows for key demo for 2024-2025, smack dab in the election season. (source:
https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/most-popular-tv-shows-2024-25-squid-game-adolescence-1236412566/)
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And take a close look at that thumbnail. People, for the most part, are mostly streaming - and the only Paramount+ show in the top 25 is Landman. Streaming is kicking terrestrials butt.
So, TLDR, it's a nuanced situation, and I don't think you can say "it's a purely political decision" with any sort of certainty.