CBS is denying allegations that it forced Late Show host Stephen Colbert not to air his interview with Texas Democratic Representative James Talarico.
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Colbert announced earlier this week that he was unable to air the interview on his late-night talk show due to concerns about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) “equal time” rule.
The rule requires broadcast stations to provide equal opportunities to opposing candidates. However, talk shows have been exempted from the rule over the years.
“We looked, and we can’t find one example of this rule being enforced for any talk show interview,” Colbert also explained. “Not only for my entire late-night career, but for anyone’s late-night career, going back to the 1960s.”
He also said he was told, “in no uncertain terms,” that Talarico was not to appear on the broadcast.
“Then I was told in some uncertain terms that not only could I not have him on,” Colbert continued. “I could not mention me not having him on, and because my network clearly doesn’t want us to talk about this. Let’s talk about this.”
Colbert also accused the Trump administration of taking steps to silence “anyone who says anything bad” about Trump on TV.
The interview was posted on YouTube, where it has generated more than five million views.
In response to Colbert’s remarks, CBS stated, “The Late Show was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico. “he show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett [D-Texas], and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled.”
Colbert Says He’s ‘So Surprised’ that CBS Would ‘Not Stand Up’ to Bullies
Colbert responded to CBS’s statement. He said he was “so surprised that the giant global corporation would not stand up to these bullies.”
“Come on, you’re Paramount. No, no, no, you’re more than that. You’re Paramount+. Plus, what? I guess we’re all gonna find out pretty soon,” he said. “And for the lawyers to release this without even talking to me is really surprising.”
Along with Colbert, Talarico also pushed back against CBS’s decision not to air the late-night talk-show interview.
“I don’t think it did anything to assuage the concerns that they were pressured by the most powerful man in the country to change their broadcast,” Talarico stated, seemingly referring to President Trump. “And that should be alarming to all of us, whether we’re Democrats, Independents, or Republicans.”
Talarico also said that CBS’s decision was the “most dangerous kind of cancel culture.”
“President Trump and his Republican allies, they ran against cancel culture in the last presidential race,” he noted. “And now they are trying to control what we watch on TV, what we say, what we read. This is the most dangerous form of cancel culture because it comes from the top.”
He then added that the Trump administration’s plan to silence him has “backfired.”