Apple cancels The Problem with Jon Stewart

Ars Technica tells us The Problem with Jon Stewart cancellation highlights a problem for Apple’s content:

Jon Stewart and his weekly talk show The Problem with Jon Stewart are out at Apple, according to reports from The New York Times and Variety. Apple canceled the show just weeks before its third season began taping. Its cancellation hints at the conflict of priorities Apple faces as it leans more into content rather than just selling tools, platforms, and gadgets.

I liked that show.

In short, Apple reserve the right on the editorial content for Apple TV+ produced shows. Which mean a show like Jon Stweart’s, that want to bring topics Apple don’t like might get axed or prevented from bring it up. In this case word has that the topics were China (which Apple does everything to court, by abiding to the desire of the dictatorship) and AI on which Apple is lagging behind, and that bring serious ethics issues.

The Problem with Jon Stewart, while comedic entertainment was meant to be informative, like Last Week Tonight with Jon Oliver, and others. This bring up the question of media independence, and whether it applies to streaming services. But this is not a new question, and the point is how the service control what’s one how and which balance.

I don’t think this will be the last time.

Also we shouldn’t exclude the eventuality that the ratings were reported to not be that great in April 2022, but did that factor into the fall 2023 decision?