Like Stephen Colbert, the Smothers Brothers enjoyed top ratings, and they had a history of refusing to avoid sensitive topics, regularly airing anti-Vietnam War and pro-civil rights segments at a time when such material was scarce on network television.

Since then, Colbert has been ripping into Donald Trump with renewed relish, often while also flaying CBS and its parent company, Paramount. By doubling down on attacking his most powerful enemy, at a time when network execs are facing such intense scrutiny for what many believe was a politically motivated firing,

Jill Abramson, a former executive editor of The New York Times, teaches journalism at Northeastern University and is a contributing Globe Opinion writer.