Stephen Colbert's rendition of David Letterman's "Late Show" is off to a great start. He's got some A-listers and thought leaders lined up this week as guests, press coverage that Seth Meyers can only dream about, and his very own vaulted stained-glass "Church of Stephen" ceiling. Everything seems to be coming together for ol' Colbert.
And yet he's reportedly taken a sizable pay cut.
According to Money, which credits a figure shared widely around the Internet, Colbert earned $6 million annually at "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central. Mediaite columnist Joe Concha claims Colbert's new salary to be $4.6 million for three years.
Both Money and Concha pin the alleged decrease on experience: Colbert is simply new to the late-night scene, and may have had a harder time negotiating.
We doubt Colbert is terribly upset, though. He admitted the narcissistic right-wing character he played on Comedy Central was getting tiresome, and seems to have made a graceful switch to late-night broadcast TV. But, if these reports are correct, we can't help but wonder why CBS -- which airs "The Late Show" -- wouldn't simply maintain the comedian's former salary.
Update: CBS has declined to comment.
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