On Colbert's Couch, CEOs Get a Seat, Too

摘要

With a couple of weeks to go before the debut of his late-night talk show, Stephen Colbert has revealed a part of his strategy to beat Jimmy Fallon: corporate suits. The comedian, who's taking over from David Letterman, will use his perch at CBS to interview a more diverse range of guests than appears on the average late-night gabfest. For his first week he's booked two of the most intriguing businessmen in the U.S., Tesla Motors Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk and Uber Technologies CEO Travis Kalanick. Viewers should expect more CEOs in the future-along with astronauts, diplomats, and policy-minded intellectuals, according to Colbert's booker, Emily Lazar. She says a blend of comedy and intelligent conversation can set Colbert apart from his peers, who lean more on celebrity interviews and sketches that get recirculated online. "There are many CEOs who are celebrities in their own right," she says. "I'm not interested in a conventional CEO. I'm interested in people who are innovators, not time servers."