CBS censors Colbert interview with Texas Democrat over FCC equal-time rule fears
Stephen Colbert says network lawyers blocked his interview with Rep. James Talarico, citing FCC political broadcasting rules.
Deep Dive
Stephen Colbert revealed CBS lawyers prevented him from airing an interview with Texas Senate candidate Rep. James Talarico on "The Late Show," citing FCC equal-time rules for political candidates. The unaired segment was published on YouTube. This follows FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's warning to networks about eliminating exceptions for talk show interviews, part of a broader Trump administration pressure campaign on broadcast media perceived as critical.
Why It Matters
It signals a major escalation in government pressure on broadcast networks, chilling political speech on late-night TV.