Stephen Colbert Claims CBS Blocked James Talarico Interview
▼ Summary
– Stephen Colbert stated that CBS lawyers prevented him from broadcasting an interview with Texas Democratic Representative James Talarico on his show.
– Colbert was also told he could not mention the censorship on air, forcing him to post the interview on YouTube instead.
– CBS cited the FCC’s equal time rule, which requires giving equal airtime to competing political candidates during an election.
– FCC Chair Brendan Carr issued new guidance suggesting late-night talk shows should comply with this rule, potentially removing a news interview exemption.
– Colbert accused CBS of unilaterally enforcing this guidance and suggested the action was politically motivated to silence criticism of Donald Trump.
Stephen Colbert, host of The Late Show, has publicly stated that CBS prevented him from airing a planned interview with Texas Democratic Representative James Talarico. During his Monday night monologue, Colbert explained that network lawyers explicitly instructed him not to feature Talarico on the broadcast. This decision forced the production to release the full conversation on YouTube. The incident coincides with the recent announcement that veteran journalist Anderson Cooper is departing his role as a 60 Minutes correspondent.
Colbert recounted the directive from CBS, stating, “He [Talarico] was supposed to be here, but we were told in no uncertain terms by our network’s lawyers, who called us directly, that we could not have him on the broadcast.” He further claimed he was then instructed not to even discuss the censorship on air, adding, “I was told in some uncertain terms that not only could I not have him on, I could not mention me not having him on.”
The host, whose tenure concludes this May, pointed to the Federal Communications Commission’s equal time rule as the cited justification. This regulation mandates that broadcast television and radio programs provide competing political candidates with equivalent airtime during an election period. Talarico is actively campaigning for a U.S. Senate seat.
Traditionally, news interviews and programs like talk shows have been exempt from this rule. However, as reported by industry outlets, FCC Chair Brendan Carr issued new guidance in January suggesting that late-night and daytime talk shows should also adhere to the equal time provision. Carr remarked that programs deemed “fake news” would not qualify for the bona fide news exemption.
Colbert argued that while Carr “hasn’t done away” with the exemption officially, CBS is “unilaterally enforcing it as if he had.” He connected the network’s action to broader political pressures, commenting, “Let’s just call this what it is. Donald Trump’s administration wants to silence anyone who says anything bad about Trump on TV.” This statement references the network’s recent appointment of Bari Weiss, founder of The Free Press, as the editor-in-chief of CBS News, a move seen by some as indicative of a shifting editorial direction.
(Source: The Verge)
