CBS SETS DEAL AFTER STEPHEN COLBERT USES MUSIC FROM "PEANUTS" ON LATEST SHOW

CBS reached a licensing agreement after Stephen Colbert purposely used the song "Linus and Lucy", a jazz classic from the "Peanuts" soundtrack, during his last program in charge of "The Late Show". The moment happened as a good-natured provocation from the presenter to the broadcaster himself. On his last day leading the attraction, Colbert had the band Louis Cato and the Great Big Joy Machine play the song live, without prior authorization, and joked on air that he hoped it didn't cost CBS any money. The joke ended up becoming reality. Lee Mendelson Film Productions, the company that controls Vince Guaraldi's musical catalog linked to the "Peanuts" specials, confirmed that it has reached a deal with CBS for an undisclosed amount. The main point of the story is that all the money from the agreement will go to World Central Kitchen, a humanitarian organization founded by chef José Andrés and known for providing food in regions hit by disasters and crises. The choice of entity is directly related to Colbert, who had already donated US$2.5 million to the same organization during the penultimate episode of his program. According to the company responsible for music rights, the use of the song in the program was considered fun and appropriate to the spirit of the moment, but the case also served to reinforce the importance of formal licensing agreements in commercial environments. Colbert's farewell also featured cameos from Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, Tim Meadows, Tig Notaro and Ryan Reynolds. Paul McCartney also appeared as the last interviewee in the presenter's history on the program. In the end, the musical provocation became a charitable gesture. The joke that could only generate a copyright charge ended up being transformed into humanitarian aid.