The Brief

After more than 3,000 episodes of television stretched over 20 years and two TV networks, this critic believes Stephen Colbert's greatest legacy as a host and performer comes down to a single word.

Truthiness.

Colbert highlighted it on the very first episode of his Colbert Report, a spinoff of The Daily Show which featured him as a blown-up parody of TV pundits like original Fox News Channel star Bill O'Reilly — championing the idea of believing something because it feels true, regardless of the facts. "I don't trust books," he says in a segment from that first show. "They're all facts and no heart."

And now, as his Late Show ends an 11-year run Thursday — canceled by CBS despite top ratings in a move some suspect was rooted in silencing a high-profile critic of President Trump — it seems Colbert may have been felled by his stance against such thinking.

"Stephen Colbert has shown, more so than anyone else of this modern era of late night, the power of sticking to the truth," says Roy Wood Jr., a former correspondent on The Daily Show and host of CNN's satire program, Have I Got News for You.

"It's pretty dope that he didn't blink," Wood adds. "In fact, he went harder. This is by far the most sensitive administration we've ever had to deal with as comedians. … He didn't bat an eye."

Hasan Minhaj, another Daily Show alum who hosted his own topical program for Netflix called Patriot Act, says Colbert showed how satirists could evolve while developing a relationship with their audience over decades — going from a top Daily Show correspondent to playing a character on the Colbert Report to revealing more of himself as host of the Late Show.

"What Stephen did, is he was constantly meeting the moment," Minhaj adds. "When you're hosting a nightly program, every day is a new moment. … I think Stephen will be known as one of the most brilliant minds to meet the moment in every way he possibly could."

A sketch comic destined for more

Raised in South Carolina, Colbert learned the early basics of sketch comedy and satire at Second City in Chicago, serving as understudy for a guy named Steve Carell, who eventually joined him in the pair's first real break, serving as writers and performers for Saturday Night Live alum Dana Carvey's self-titled sketch comedy show in 1996.

But it wasn't until he landed with Carrell on The Daily Show a few years later that Colbert developed the persona he would later call a "high status idiot," who poked at the absurdity of cable news pundits — especially on the emerging, conservative-oriented Fox News Channel — by simply amplifying their behavior.

Minhaj says Colbert's work as a Daily Show correspondent was so successful, later contributors passed around an email from him outlining how to do the program's "field pieces" filmed outside the building.

"It really was almost like basketball fundamentals, but for performing political satire," he adds. "He is fully committed and in character the whole way through. … Stephen Colbert's field pieces became the cornerstone and benchmark for what a great correspondent performance is."

Working with longtime host Jon Stewart, who took over the Daily Show in 1999, Colbert, Carrell and the show's other correspondents honed a focus on news-driven satire and politics which spread across television, influencing a generation of programs and performers.

And the satire only expanded when he and Stewart spun off Colbert's character in a program airing after the Daily Show in 2005, called The Colbert Report — creating a figure so indelible, he testified in character before a Congressional subcommittee hearing on the issue of farm workers and immigration and roasted then-President George W. Bush during an iconic appearance at the White House Correspondents Dinner.

Comedian Stephen Colbert testifies during a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in September 2010.

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Former House Republican leader Tom DeLay even seemed to think Colbert was a real pundit, using footage from one of his interviews in a mass email to supporters.

"I always thought his maximum impact came in [The Colbert Report]," says Bill Carter, who covered TV for decades at The New York Times, creating books and a CNN docuseries on late night television. "That's when he was an entire original, like no one has ever seen, doing a character for nine years … He had to tell his guests, 'You know, I'm going to be a jerk.'… It was really a change in the form."

Carter wrote in an essay for CNN that Colbert's character was a "vain, narcissistic conservative true believer who was frequently given to spouting far-fringe ideas that politicians on the right might have been thinking in their gut, but were not willing, until Donald Trump, to speak out loud."

Besides testing the limits of satire, it was also a change which mirrored the times, as cable news pundits rose in prominence and power – especially on Fox News. "I think at the end of the day, he's always been trying to hold a mirror up to the country," Wood says. "Especially, you know, it started with Republicans."

Colbert comes to Network TV

David Letterman originally created CBS' The Late Show back in 1993, after he was passed over for the job of succeeding Johnny Carson as host of NBC's powerhouse Tonight Show. When Letterman retired from network television in 2015, Colbert was tapped as a successor, facing a serious challenge.

How to be himself on TV.

Stephen Colbert poses during the 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in September 2013 in Los Angeles.

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"One of [Colbert's] lasting impacts, was his ability to be an absolute brilliant master of both satire and sincerity," Minhaj says.

But being himself on camera didn't come immediately to Colbert, who admitted recently to the New York Times that he initially avoided being overtly topical, newsy or political in The Late Show's early days.

By the time I visited his program at the end of 2016, it had been energized by live shows during the Republican and Democratic conventions and the hiring of Chris Licht — who would go on to an ill-fated tenure as president of CNN — to handle non-comedy production decisions as showrunner.

"He didn't have time to find his voice before I got here," Licht told me back then. "[Colbert] really was running the show and every element of it."

Colbert's turn toward revealing more of himself personally on the show mirrored a turn in media generally toward voices which seem more authentic, especially on podcasts and cable TV. Beyond his criticism of Trump and MAGA Republicans, Colbert showed his love for his longtime wife, Evie McGee Colbert, his passion for The Lord of the Rings and his strong connection to Catholicism on The Late Show.

And while some critics have theorized that part of the slide in ratings among network TV late night shows might be attributed to the hosts' increasingly intense political stands, Carter disagrees. He says modern media consumers often operate in an information silo where online algorithms push content at them, which reinforces what they already believe – making it tough for anyone to craft comedy which speaks across a wide swath of consumers.

Unlike late night legend Johnny Carson, Carter says this era's late night hosts have a hard time appealing to an audience across political lines. "Everybody has to take a point of view," he says. "You're forced into it. You're asked to stand up and say something now. I think, clearly, the events of the world demand that."

Wood agreed, noting that the best satire pokes at those in power in a way that speaks to the concerns of average viewers. "It's an unspoken pledge that you take as a performer to honor the truth of what's out there," he adds.

"People who believe these late night show are anti-Trump have not stopped to ask themselves, 'Is this administration completely perfect?'" Wood says. "Should we not point out its imperfections? If pointing out its imperfections makes you run for the hills and change the channel, so be it. It doesn't change what's happening on the ground."

Colbert's next act

As Colbert's final Late Show episode approaches, the question arises of what he might do next. Already he has announced a project close to his heart — writing a new Lord of the Rings movie with his son — while insisting he doesn't yet have the mental energy to seriously consider what his next chapter might be.

But Minhaj and Carter both have the same suggestion for his next project: A one-man show on Broadway, perhaps featuring the return of his old Colbert Report character.

"I'm talking this kind of Billy Crystal meets Steve Martin meets Martin Short meets John Leguizamo personal storytelling," Minhaj adds. "Song, dance, he can do it all … improvise, do comedy and be deep and sincere. He's an electric live-wire act."

While cancellation of The Late Show — and CBS' decision to lease the time period to mogul Byron Allen for his often not-topical program Comics Unleashed — may look like the beginning of the end for late night television, Carter expects Colbert's departure to boost others, particularly Jimmy Kimmel's show.

"I wouldn't be surprised if 30% to half of [Colbert's] viewers go over to Kimmel," says Carter, who has noticed Kimmel gets an uptick in viewers whenever he has a new episode while Colbert is in reruns. (This week, Kimmel and Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon return the favor, airing reruns on Thursday to reduce competition with Colbert's swan song.)

With any luck, Colbert, who turned 62 last week, will find a way to evolve his style yet again to meet the newest form of satire and television. At a time when the world seems more absurd than ever, the need has only grown for a deftly incisive voice with the courage to decry truthiness to power, regardless of consequences.
Copyright 2026 NPR

Southern California was built on radio.

"I can still hear the jingle KFWB News 98,” wrote  Taline in Los Feliz, during a recent conversation on LAist's daily news show, AirTalk, which airs on 89.3 FM. “I grew up hearing that in my dad's minivan on the way to and from school. It has a special place in my heart.”

Back in April, broadcast company Audacy announced KNX News — one of the last-remaining all-news FM stations — was leaving the FM dial where it had simulcast on 97.1 FM since 2021. The station, which is also one of the oldest in L.A., is not budging from 1070 AM where it has been on the air for more than 100 years. The move away from FM officially happened in May to make way for a new sports talk station, which Audacy officials called an area of growth for advertisers in today’s media landscape.

The move is one in a long line of changes for radio and a reminder that before podcasts, playlists and algorithms, many Southern Californians built their days around radio broadcasts.

Radio, a daily ritual

The construction of KNX

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Michael Jackson, a well-known KNX, personality

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Larry Mantle, now in his 41st year hosting AirTalk, remembers being a kid and dreaming of what it might be like to be behind the mic at one of these radio stations.

“ I grew up with KNX," he said. “My dream job as a kid was to be an anchor on KNX or KFWB, the two local all-news radio stations, 'cause there was nothing like hosting AirTalk that even existed at that point.”

Mantle opened up the phone lines on a recent show to hear from his fellow SoCal radio lovers about the shows they miss and the memories they have. Here's what they had to say:

A love for radio, then and now  

A pilot of KMPC's traffic alert helicopter pictured with his daughter and grandson.

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A 1963 picture of Valley State College (now Los Angeles Valley College) preparing to launch KVCM

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“When you'd walk down Hollywood Boulevard where the station was, you could hear it playing as you went down the street,” said  Olivia in Glendale about KLAC 570 with Al Jarvis.

 Larry in Yorba Linda shouted out KBCA Jazz for its 24-hour jazz, saying “When I first moved out here in '68 from Phoenix, which had like an hour a week, it was a real wonder.”

 Mark in Glassell Park emailed that he loves KCRW’s Henry Rollins, writing, “I used to bristle at his unique DJ persona, but over time, I came to love him and his crazy eclectic playlists. I find his knowledge in history and punk rock fascinating. He's a gem and a legend."

"I'd like to give a shout-out to all the DJs working at KXLU, the college station at Loyola Marymount University, said  Jeremy in Culver City in an email. “That station's been on the air for nearly 60 years. I believe it's one of the best examples of what's possible with radio."

"KFWB and KRLA back in the day when they were rock music stations —  Dr. Demento, one of my favorite on-air personalities, also had eclectic music taste," said  Carrie in Desert Edge.

“ Dr. Demento was must listening when I was a kid in junior high school at Le Conte Junior High in Hollywood,” Mantle added. “Every Sunday night on KMET, we would make sure we were listening to Dr. Demento and his funny records.”

The question remains…

An 11-year-old winning a car in a KMPC contest in 1963.

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Listener support is vital to any radio station, and it’s clear KNX has many lifelong fans. AirTalk listeners highlighted their support for household KNX names over the decades like Bill Keene, Melinda Lee, Mike Roy and Jackie Olden.

As KNX makes changes, many are watching closely and thinking about the future of radio.

Listeners like Tommy in La Quinta are left wondering if the radio dial will be the same…

“I’m a hardcore listener, but I don't know about casual listeners [and] if they'll tune to AM,” he said.

After months of hand-wringing, Los Angeles and LA28 have come to a tentative agreement on how Olympics organizers will reimburse the city for its expenses for the 2028 Summer Games.

According to the deal, the private Olympic organizing committee will pay upfront for the estimated cost of services that are not eligible for federal reimbursement, like trash pick-up and traffic control. Under another proposal, the city would also be able to tap an LA28 contingency fund if it isn't fully repaid by the federal government for policing costs at Olympic venues.

The agreement is nearly nine months overdue and still needs approval by Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council.

The 2028 Olympics are intended to be privately financed, and an existing city agreement with LA28 states that the Olympics organizers, not L.A., will pay for extra costs for public services in support of the Games. But L.A. is the financial back-stop for the Olympics, meaning if LA28 goes in the red, taxpayers will pick up the bill.

Beyond that, the city services agreement presents another area where L.A. could incur additional unexpected expenses for hosting the Games. L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez warned LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover earlier this year that a bad deal could "bankrupt" the city.

Jacie Prieto Lopez, an LA28 spokesperson, and Paul Krekorian, who leads the city's office of major events, said in statements that the freshly inked agreement would help deliver a fiscally responsible Games.

"Mayor Bass’ priority is that the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games be fiscally responsible, protect taxpayers, and benefit Angelenos for decades to come. This agreement helps deliver that commitment," Krekorian said.

But the contract between the two parties doesn't fully resolve one of the biggest areas of financial risk for the city: the enormous cost of security for an event as extensive and high-profile as the summer Olympics and Paralympics.

Organizers are counting on the federal government to pay for public safety at Olympic venues that are considered part of a "national special security event." That includes costs for LAPD staffing. LA28 has not included security costs in its $7.1 billion budget — a fact that City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto criticized earlier this year.

The federal government has so far allocated $1 billion for security costs for the Olympics. Exactly where those federal funds will go has not yet been determined, and there's no guarantee they will cover all of L.A.'s policing costs.

To address this, city officials have also proposed an amendment to a 2021 agreement between the city and LA28. That amendment would establish that if L.A. is not reimbursed by the federal government for all its eligible expenses, it could dip into LA28's contingency fund of $270 million before the private organizing committee could use those funds for any legacy projects.

But that bucket of money will first be used for any costs that Olympics organizers still owe if they run out of revenue — meaning if the Olympics don't turn a profit, the city's access to that money will depend on how much is left for the taking.

Civil rights attorney Connie Rice, who has been tracking the city's negotiations with LA28, told LAist the agreement was a "PR document" not a deal. She pointed out that if the federal government does not pay up for security spending as expected, L.A. could be in trouble.

" It leaves the taxpayers with a GoFundMe strategy," she said.

The city services agreement lays the groundwork for more negotiations between LA28 and the city. Each venue will require its own agreement, to be negotiated by July 1, 2027. Venues in the city of L.A. include Dodger Stadium, the L.A. Convention Center, L.A. Memorial Coliseum and the Venice Beach Boardwalk.

The City Council's ad-hoc committee on the 2028 Games will meet Tuesday afternoon to vote on the agreement.