Stephen Colbert publicly defied CBS Monday night, revealing the network had blocked an interview with Texas State Representative James Talarico and then attempted to prevent him from even acknowledging the cancellation on air. Colbert disclosed the situation during his monologue on “The Late Display,” explaining that CBS lawyers had directly informed him the interview could not proceed.
“That’s Texas state representative James Talarico. He 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,” Colbert told his audience. “Then, 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. And because my network clearly does not want us to talk about this…Let’s talk about this.”
The decision stems from new guidance issued by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr regarding the “equal time” rule, which traditionally exempts late-night talk shows from requiring them to offer airtime to all candidates in a race if they interview one. Carr has signaled a potential shift in enforcement, suggesting shows may no longer qualify for this exemption if there is a “partisan motivation” in featuring a candidate.
Colbert explained the implications of the FCC’s potential change, noting that Carr had specifically mentioned him and Jimmy Kimmel in recent comments. “If Kimmel or Colbert want to continue to do their programming,” Carr stated, “and they don’t want to have to comply with this requirement, then they can go to a cable channel or a podcast or a streaming service and that’s fine.”
In response, Colbert circumvented the network’s directive by posting the full interview with Talarico, who is running for U.S. Senate in Texas, on YouTube. He framed CBS’s actions as a preemptive response to a rule that hasn’t yet been formally changed. “He hasn’t done away with it yet, but my network is unilaterally enforcing it as if he had,” Colbert said.
The move by CBS and the FCC guidance have raised concerns about potential censorship and the chilling effect on political discourse on broadcast television. Colbert suggested the motivation behind the FCC’s scrutiny was politically driven, stating, “Let’s just call this what This proves: Donald Trump’s administration wants to silence anyone who says anything bad about Trump on TV, because all Trump does is watch TV. He’s like a toddler with too much screen time.”
CBS has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding Colbert’s statements. The FCC’s new guidance does not currently apply to right-wing talk radio, a point Colbert also highlighted during his monologue.
