CBS Forced to Pay Fine for Colbert Finale’s Music Usage

It hasn’t even been a full month since Stephen Colbert gave his final bow as host of CBS’ The Late Show and already it feels like years. The eyeball network has moved on to pastures far less green. (They’ve also lost the timeslot’s audience, by some reports). But if you thought Colbert didn’t still have one gift left for his former network, you’d be wrong. You see, on The Late Show series finale, Colbert played a piece of music specifically without a license. Now CBS has to pay for it.

In news we first saw via The Wrap, Colbert played the song “Lucy and Linus” by the Vince Guaraldi Trio on the episode. (You know, the Peanuts song.) He specifically called out how they didn’t obtain a license for it. Well, now the network has to pony up. The rights holders, Lee Mendelson Film Productions, Inc., said in a statement that they’ll donate the fee. It will go to Chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen, Colbert’s charity of choice. The Kitchen sends food around the world to areas hit by problems from natural disasters to civil unrest.

“LMFP found the music’s use on ‘The Late Show’ funny and entertaining, and is proud to support World Central Kitchen’s mission,” Jason Mendelson, Chairman of LMFP, said in a release. “A principal goal of our enforcement actions is to educate individuals, businesses, and government entities about the need to obtain written license agreements to use music in a commercial setting.”

When Colbert had his house band, Louis Cato and the Great Big Joy Machine, to play “Lucy and Linus” in the May 21 episode, he explained that LMFP had cracked down on unlicensed use of Guaraldi tracks. The show had not obtained such an agreement.

“Oh no,” Colbert said. “I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money.” Neither party has disclosed the amount of money CBS has to pay. But it’s bound to be less than the $16 million parent company Paramount paid to the President of the United States so the Skydance deal went through.