To go on a slight tangent but one I think very relevant here, considering other comments here about the overt politics of late night talk shows, such as another

To go on a slight tangent but one I think very relevant here, considering other comments here about the overt politics of late night talk shows, such as another commenter's remark about not recalling previous late night hosts resorting to so many partisan jokes, it seems most people are neither aware of the former FCC's Fairness Doctrine nor its repeal: >The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses both to present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was — in the Commission's view — honest, equitable, and balanced. The FCC, which was believed to have been under pressure from then President Ronald Reagan, eliminated the Doctrine in 1987. The FCC formally removed the language that implemented the Doctrine, in August of 2011. Quote taken from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine There used to be a requirement for broadcasting companies to make a good faith effort to present all sides of a topic and to actually accomplish that goal to a reasonable degree. I am not sure of the historical origins of that policy, but I imagine it was put in place in recognition of the ability of media to sway public opinion and therefore to what degree it could be abused by powerful players with an agenda. I am generally against any governmental regulation of how people communicate, but in this case the regulation was not about content, per se, but about the fairness and integrity of our national information delivery channels. I don't know why this was repealed - I keep meaning to research it - but in any case, the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine is a chief causal factor for the state of American media today. As much as I appreciate Colbert now, as much as I watched and enjoyed the commentary by Stewart, Colbert, and others as political pundits, it is also very clear to me that part of their success in what they do is due to affirmation of political views they share with their viewers - and that that can be (and, in my opinion, has been) overall very detrimental because it has led people to silo their beliefs and become more close minded to hearing opposing viewpoints. Furthermore, the role of such pundits has become that of trading in-depth analysis for entertainment and laughs. I generally agree with what seem to be Colbert's views and often think he is very sharp and insightful. However, in the context of what I said above and considering how much influence he has, I think that the complaints and investigation discussed in TFA are well-founded.