It would be a great thing if all the communists were wiped out overnight

First of all let's be civil with each other.

Second, the $40 million dollar figure can't, and hasn't been confirmed.

Third, CBS never asked any of Colbert's staff to take pay cuts, never looked into moving his time slot, and never looked into reducing production costs.
Fourth, CBS had no trouble paying the $15 million dollar blackmail fee demanded by Trump over 60 Minutes.
Fifth, Skydance, owned by David Ellison, son of GOP and Trump backer Larry Ellison (fourth richest man in the world), is looking to buy Paramount in an $8.4 billion merger, but needs Trump's FCC approval. Ellison has ties to Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, Tim Scott, Sean Hannity, Lindsey Graham, Trump's personal attorney Jay Sekulow, and True the Vote's attorney Jay Sekulow.
The merger has raised concerns over China's investment in Skydance,

Sixth, Trump himself reports that Skydance will give him, free of charge, $20 million dollars

Let's see 20 plus 15 equals what? 35 million Paramount could have saved outright.
Seventh, timing.
The timing of this announcement, either purposely or otherwise, (I believe purposely) sends a clear message...criticize the MAGA crowd and we're coming after you. And they did and will do more of in the future. Trump is known for intimidation and frivolous lawsuits that he extends by injecting huge amounts of money in in an effort to bankrupt defendants into submission.

In short the whole deal stinks to hill heaven.

 

Now free speech.

The media and journalist are guaranteed free speech by the First Amendment in the same way, or greater, as it protects the rights of the individual.

Freedom of the press in the United States is legally protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The right to free speech by the media and corporations has been upheld in Near v. Minnesota, New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti, Landmark Communications v. Virginia, Richmond Newspaper v. Virginia, and Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court and others.

In fact the it is argued that the1st gives explicit protection to the press beyond that of the average citizen,

 

Colbert presents comedy in the form of parody, and political satire. Comedy, parody, and political satire are all covered by the First.
Why Is Parody Protected Under the First Amendment?

Freedom of Speech – Why Satire Is Protected

I don't know what you're referring to in relation to Trump.
Could you explain?

CBS is a private corporation and they must obey the law, I agree.
So what?
I'm not talking about CBS, per se, I'm talking about Trump's interference with CBS's right to broadcast whatever they wish within their First Amendment rights.
If you think Trump had no hand in the firing of Colbert, that's your opinion.
If you think Trump had a legitimate court case in respect to 60 minutes, that's your opinion. It certainly wasn't the opinion of most legal scholars.
For ‘60 Minutes,’ a Humbling Moment at an Uneasy Time for Press Freedom

Trump is chipping away at the First by legal intimidation through frivolous law suits such as the CBS, ABC, Stephanopoulos case.

Trump has sued ABC, CBS, CNN, The Chicago Tribune, Warner Books, New York Daily News, The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, The Guardian, Reuters, The Daily Mail, the Miami Herald, MSNBC, CNBC, Forbes, Axios, Deadline Hollywood, Benzinga, MarketWatch, The Daily Beast, Gizmodo, Mediaite, Salon, Newsweek, the Des Moines Register, and Simon and Schuster; that I know of....

For some reason FOX Entertainment is not on the list.

As of 2020:

And it has just gotten worse.

 

Is that it?
Shuck and jive?

Can't respond to the fact that the First addresses parody, and political satire?
Can't explain what you mean about two wrongs?
Can't respond to Trump's lawsuits and attacks on the media?

All you can do is say grow up?

Use of that phrase isn't productive in a debate, it only shows that you have run out of legitimate arguments; and it's disrespectful, it seems to indicate that you are "more of an adult" with better thinking skills than I have...without offering any counter arguments to my points at all.

It's a phrase conmanly used on playgrounds, not in debates.

 

Thanks for replying. Thinking on my post I was afraid I was being infantile myself.

Now, what don't I understand is what you are saying about the difference between private and commercial "Free Speech?"
As I understand it private speech is speech between two or more private individuals, that is, not public speech.

In other words as I understand it, private speech would be when you and I talk over something with each other on our back porch.

Public speech is a conversation, or parody, etc., of a public concern, a legitimate news interest.

Commercial speech involves a commercial transaction that, "relates solely to the speaker’s and the audience’s economic interests." This would basically be forms of advertisement for solely monetary gain sans a legitimate news interest.
One example given is that the government can prohibit the..."broadcast(ing) of lottery advertisements by a broadcaster in a state that prohibits lotteries, while allowing broadcast of such ads by stations in states that sponsor lotteries." ~ Cornell Law School

Now, I agree that Colbert's show does not engage in private conversation, but are you claiming that it is not public speech regarding public concerns such as politics?
Are you suggesting The Late Show is some form of advertising for a specific commercial product sans a legitimate news interest?
Are you claiming that all parody and satire are subject to governmental regulation?

 

"Two wrongs don't make a right." Yes my parents taught me that.
What I am asking is what two wrongs and what right are you talking about?

 

You will have to specify which law suit(s) you are talking about.
Are you suggesting that Trump does not have a purpose in attacking the media, he's not trying to suppress the reporting of actual facts?