JON STEWART ADDRESSES POSSIBLE 'DAILY SHOW' CANCELLATION AMID PENDING PARAMOUNT MERGER

“Boy, that’s a good question,” Stewart said during an interview. Jon Stewart isn’t sure if “The Daily Show” can survive the proposed merger of Skydance Media and Comedy Central parent company Paramount Global. He was asked about his chances on Thursday’s episode of ”The Weekly Show” by producer Brittany Mehmedovic.

“Boy, that’s a good question,” Stewart replied.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t heard anything from them,” he continued. “They haven’t called me and said, like, ‘Don’t get too comfortable in that office, Stewart!’ But let me tell you something, I’ve been kicked out of shittier establishments than that. We’ll land on our feet.”

Those comments were presumably recorded before CBS’ announcement Thursday that it was cancelling Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show,” as Stewart didn’t mention his former Comedy Central colleague or the impending end of Colbert’s 10-year tenure.

The “Late Show” cancellation arrived mere days after Colbert slammed Paramount Global on the air for settling with President Donald Trump for $16 million over a “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris.

The settlement reportedly included a “side deal” ensuring that CBS runs at least $15 million worth of public service ads promoting causes that Trump personally supports, which many — including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) — have noted appears to be “bribery.”

The pending and highly publicized merger with Skydance notably requires legal approval from the pro-Trump chair of the Federal Communications Commission, raising suspicions that Paramount Global merely settled to satisfy Trump and increase chances of its success. Stewart, who hosted “The Daily Show” from 1999 to 2015 before returning in 2024, said Thursday that Comedy Central is “like muzak at this point.” Paramount Global reportedly erased the network’s archived material last year to “streamline” Comedy Central’s website.

“I think we’re the only sort of life that exists on a current basis other than, like, ‘South Park,’” he said on the podcast, adding: “But it’s the only thing on there. I’d like to think we bring enough value to the property if they’re looking at it as purely a real estate transaction.”

“I think we bring a lot of value,” he continued. “But that might not be their consideration. I don’t know. They may sell the whole fucking place for parts. I just don’t know. And we’ll deal with it when we do. But I’m so happy and proud of everybody that works over there.”