WASHINGTON – You know him as the wisecracking host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” a post he’ll resign this fall.
But Jon Stewart is also busy helping American military veterans enter the TV industry.
The New York Times reports Stewart has spent the last three years at “The Daily Show” secretly running a five-week boot camp to bring young vets into television.
The program was intentionally not publicized, but now that he’s leaving the show, Stewart is shedding light on the idea, hoping that other shows will follow.
“This is ready to franchise. Please steal our idea,” Stewart tells The Times. “It isn’t charity. To be good in this business you have to bring in different voices from different places, and we have this wealth of experience that just wasn’t being tapped.”
Throughout his “Daily Show” tenure, Stewart has been a fierce critic of the Iraq War, but memorably advocated for 9/11 first responders.
