{
  "id": 7473153,
  "title": "Stephen Colbert Says ‘Free Speech Is Alive and Well’ After Emmy Win Despite CBS Cancellation: Late Night Is ‘Just as Vital as it Ever Has Been’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/stephen-colbert-says-free-speech-is-alive-and-well-after-emmy-win",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-15T04:36:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Variety",
    "slug": "variety",
    "url": "https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/stephen-colbert-free-speech-emmy-win-cbs-cancellation-1236862571/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Stephen Colbert's \"The Late Show\" has won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Series for the second consecutive time. The show, which ended its run on CBS four months ago, took home the award at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards.\n\nIn his acceptance speech, Colbert did not comment on the show's cancellation or make any political remarks. Instead, he used the opportunity to advocate for his former staff members, encouraging the industry to hire them. Colbert highlighted that late-night shows serve as an incubator for young professionals to learn and develop their skills.\n\nColbert expressed gratitude to the over 200 people who worked on \"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert\" over the past 11 years. According to Variety, Colbert spoke with CNN correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister and Variety co-president Ramin Setoodeh after the Emmy Awards. The show beat other nominees, including \"The Daily Show\", \"Jimmy Kimmel Live!\", \"SNL\", and \"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver\", as reported by Deadline.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Consequence",
        "title": "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Wins Its Final Emmy",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-wins-its-final-emmy",
        "published": "2026-09-15T01:37:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "IndieWire",
        "title": "‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ Wins Emmy for 2026 Outstanding Variety Series",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-wins-emmy-for-2026-outstanding",
        "published": "2026-09-15T01:41:49.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Variety",
        "title": "Stephen Colbert Wins Emmy After ‘Late Show’ Canceled by CBS and Tells Industry to Hire His Crew: ‘They Will Make Your Show Better!’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/stephen-colbert-wins-emmy-after-late-show-canceled-by-cbs-and-tells",
        "published": "2026-09-15T01:43:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "TheWrap",
        "title": "Stephen Colbert Uses ‘The Late Show’ Emmy Win to Make a Plea for His Staff: ‘Hire Them’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/stephen-colbert-uses-the-late-show-emmy-win-to-make-a-plea-for-his",
        "published": "2026-09-15T01:57:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Deadline",
        "title": "‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Ends With Late-Night Emmy Win: “Catch Y’All On The Flip”",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-ends-with-late-night-emmy-win",
        "published": "2026-09-15T02:00:47.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NYT Arts",
        "title": "‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Goes Out With an Emmy Win",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-goes-out-with-an-emmy-win",
        "published": "2026-09-15T02:02:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Forbes",
        "title": "Stephen Colbert’s Canceled Late Show Wins Best Variety Series Emmy",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/stephen-colberts-canceled-late-show-wins-best-variety-series-emmy",
        "published": "2026-09-15T02:30:20.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}