Paramount/CBS had issued takedown notices to YouTube users uploading Stephen Colbert’s recent 'Only in Monroe' episode, but the company has now paused further actions.
Copyright Concerns
The takedown notices were not an attempt to suppress Colbert's content but were due to copyright issues. CBS Studios financed and produced the episode, which was uploaded to Colbert's new YouTube channel. The channel launched with just one video: Colbert’s May 22 hosting of 'Only in Monroe,' a public access show from Monroe Community Media.
“Stephen Colbert’s return to Monroe in the ‘Only in Monroe’ episode was financed and produced by CBS Studios and was posted on Stephen Colbert’s YouTube channel in collaboration with Monroe Community Media and ‘The Late Show’s’ YouTube channels. As is our regular practice, we send copyright notices to unauthorized websites that post copyrighted content from CBS and our network/studio talent such as Stephen Colbert. However, for this episode, we have decided to waive further enforcement of this standard industry practice until additional review,” a CBS spokesperson stated.
Viewership Rivalry
Unofficial uploads on YouTube, such as one from 'The Desk,' amassed 620,621 views, surpassing Colbert's channel's 392,486 views. Despite this, the official video is available on Colbert's channel and shared via Monroe Community Media’s and 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' YouTube pages.
Production Backing
CBS funded the episode, which featured music by Jack White and a guest appearance by Jeff Daniels. This support underscores CBS's role in protecting its copyright. Monroe Community Media, with less legal muscle, has not issued takedown notices.
Colbert originally launched 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' by hosting 'Only in Monroe' in 2015, making this recent return a symbolic bookend to his CBS tenure.
Star-Studded Episode
The surprise episode included appearances by Eminem, Steve Buscemi, and Byron Allen. Regular hosts Michelle Baumann and former Miss America Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson also returned.
Colbert remarked on his return: “Since I was last here in Monroe, Michigan, I spent 11 years as the primary host of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' on CBS, which came to an end last night. It’s been an excruciating 23 hours without being on TV, so I am grateful to be able to be here on Monroe Community Media before they also get acquired by Paramount.”
Watch Colbert's 'Only in Monroe' episode on his YouTube channel.
Source: https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/cbs-stephen-colbert-only-in-monroe-public-access-show-1236758093/
