It has had a large number of name changes, mostly involving the addition or subtraction of the word comedy.
Generally, the category has recognized the writers of variety and sketch comedy shows.
The category eventually found greater stability with its name in 1982, when it settled on Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program for almost two decades.
Of all the writing Emmy categories, it has recently become the one most dominated by cable networks.
Since 2003, and with the exception of 2007, three series have shared the awards: The Daily Show and its spin-off, The Colbert Report, both broadcast on Comedy Central, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, himself a Daily Show alumnus.