In a blistering critique, late-night television icon David Letterman has launched a furious attack on the current executives at CBS, the network he called home for over two decades. The 78-year-old legend accused them of destroying the broadcaster's integrity and reducing its once-proud news division to a wreck.
A Scathing Monologue on YouTube
Letterman delivered his extraordinary rant during an episode of The Barbara Gaines Show, which was uploaded to his personal YouTube channel on a recent Saturday. Before turning his fire on CBS, he took time to praise fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for his handling of a suspension from ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! in September 2025.
That suspension followed remarks Kimmel made about the MAGA movement's response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Letterman, known for his left-leaning views, claimed Kimmel had brought Disney and other network owners to their knees, exposing them as fools.
He also commended other hosts like Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert, who succeeded him at CBS in 2015. Colbert's own show is set to end in May, leading Letterman to lament, We're running out of places where you hear these voices.
Turning Fire on CBS and Its New Leadership
After his commentary on the late-night landscape, Letterman's focus shifted sharply to CBS. He hosted Late Night with David Letterman on the network from 1993 until his retirement in 2015.
What about those idiots at CBS? he asked hosts Barbara Gaines and Mary Barclay. He then launched into a passionate defence of the network's historic legacy, citing the iconic war reporting of Edward R. Murrow during the London Blitz in World War II.
Murrow also famously challenged Senator Joseph McCarthy's tactics on CBS's See It Now in 1954. It was that mentality that drove the integrity of CBS News that has been trampled on, p***ed on and eviscerated by these idiots that have taken it over, Letterman stated.
The New Era Under Paramount Skydance
The network is now under the control of the merged Paramount Skydance Corporation, led by CEO David Ellison. Ellison's father, billionaire Larry Ellison, is a noted ally of former President Donald Trump.
Despite this connection, Trump himself criticised the new parent company in December 2025, complaining about his treatment by the flagship programme 60 Minutes. The appointment of Bari Weiss as Editor-in-Chief of CBS News has also proven controversial.
Weiss, a self-described political centrist, has vowed to serve the American mainstream, which she claims has been ill-served by the media. However, her background as an opinion journalist with no prior broadcast experience has raised significant questions about her suitability for the role.
Letterman's explosive comments highlight a deep rift between the network's celebrated past and its uncertain future under its new ownership and leadership.
