CBS in planning stages for new late-night era

In this photo provided by CBS, Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert, left, shakes hands with host David Letterman on the set of the “Late Show with David Letterman,” Tuesday, April 22, 2014, in New York. The late-night transition from David Letterman to Steven Colbert and from Craig Ferguson to a yet-to-be-named host remains undecided, CBS Entertainment chief Nina Tassler said Thursday, July 17, 2014.Network meetings will be held in August to discuss the scheduling of Colbert's 2015 debut as "Late Show" host, Tassler told a Television Critics Association meeting. (AP Photo/Jeffrey R. Staab) MANDATORY CREDIT, NO SALES, NO ARCHIVE, FOR NORTH AMERICAN USE ONLY In this photo provided by CBS, Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert, left, shakes hands with host David Letterman on the set of the “Late Show with David Letterman,” Tuesday, April 22, 2014, in New York. The late-night transition from David Letterman to Steven Colbert and from Craig Ferguson to a yet-to-be-named host remains undecided, CBS Entertainment chief Nina Tassler said Thursday, July 17, 2014.Network meetings will be held in August to discuss the scheduling of Colbert's 2015 debut as "Late Show" host, Tassler told a Television Critics Association meeting. (AP Photo/Jeffrey R. Staab) MANDATORY CREDIT, NO SALES, NO ARCHIVE, FOR NORTH AMERICAN USE ONLY

By Associated Press July 17, 2014 2 min read

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) – CBS is taking a wide-open approach to replacing Craig Ferguson in late-night, including the possibility of a host from politics, CBS Entertainment chief Nina Tassler said Thursday.

Details of the late-night transition from David Letterman to Stephen Colbert and from Ferguson to a yet-to-be-found replacement remain undecided, Tassler said.

Whether the host of the 12:30 p.m. Eastern show that follows Colbert’s “Late Show” comes from comedy or perhaps even the political realm is under discussion, she said.

“We’re looking at it through a very different lens,” she said.

That raises the interesting if surprising possibility of a politics-focused late-night for CBS, depending on how Colbert approaches his new job.