CBS reaches agreement over Stephen Colbert’s use of Peanuts music on The Late Show

submitted by Powderhorn to usnews 5 points | 0 comments https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/16/cbs-stephen-colbert-peanuts-the-late-show > On his last day hosting CBS’s The Late Show, Stephen Colbert played one of the most iconic songs from the Peanuts soundtrack. > > “Oh no! I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money!” he joked, as Louis Cato and the Great Big Joy Machine performed the song, titled Linus and Lucy, on air. It was a final dig at the network, which many fans believe cancelled the show due to Colbert’s criticisms of the Trump administration. > > It did, indeed, cost CBS. Lee Mendelson Film Productions, the California company that controls jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi’s famed Peanuts catalog and had become increasingly litigious over unauthorized uses of the music, announced it had reached a licensing agreement with CBS for an undisclosed amount. The production company said it would donate all proceeds to World Central Kitchen, the disaster-relief food nonprofit founded by chef José Andrés. I was curious where this would land. Seems like one of the better possible outcomes.