Stephen Colbert, host of CBS’s late-night show, publicly disagreed with his network’s decisions regarding his interview with James Talarico, a Senate candidate from Texas.
On Monday, Stephen Colbert explained that CBS explicitly prohibited him from having Democratic senate candidate John Talarico on his “Late Show.” The network’s reasoning was that inviting Talarico would obligate them to give equal airtime to his primary opponents. Colbert also revealed that CBS told him not to mention this restriction on the show, but he chose to disregard that instruction.
CBS disputed Stephen Colbert’s version of events in a statement on Tuesday. They clarified that ‘The Late Show’ wasn’t prevented from airing the interview with Representative James Talarico, but was simply asked to offer equal time to Talarico’s political rivals.
During his monologue on Tuesday’s “Late Show,” Colbert called CBS’s denial of prior approval for his comments “nonsense.” He explained that the network’s legal team had actually reviewed and even helped him refine what he said.
He stated that CBS lawyers had thoroughly reviewed and approved every line of his script the previous night, emphasizing that they routinely approve all content before it’s broadcast, regardless of the subject matter – even something as unusual as depictions of frogs mating.
Colbert received a printed copy of CBS’s statement, then dramatically crumpled it up and tossed it into a dog waste bag.
The current debate revolves around an old rule from the Federal Communications Commission that affects only traditional TV and radio. This ‘equal-time rule,’ rarely used in practice, says that if a broadcaster interviews a candidate running for office, they must offer the same opportunity to all other candidates in that race. News programs and talk shows are generally exempt from this rule.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr wants to eliminate a current rule that gives talk shows special consideration. However, some experts believe this would be hard to implement and could potentially stifle free speech by restricting who talk shows are allowed to have as guests.
Many believe Carr’s decision is an attempt to appease President Trump, who is famously critical of late-night shows that often make fun of him.
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The editor-in-chief held her first division-wide meeting to discuss the road ahead.
Colbert interviewed Talarico and shared it on YouTube, a platform not regulated by the FCC. The interview quickly gained several million views.
On Tuesday, Stephen Colbert accused CBS executives of giving in to demands from Bret Baier and lacking the strength to stand their ground. He also pointed out that the rule requiring equal airtime for political candidates still includes an exception for talk shows.
He expressed his shock that such a large, international company wouldn’t confront those who were acting aggressively.
A CBS representative did not respond to a request for comment.
Stephen Colbert isn’t likely to face consequences for publicly criticizing CBS leadership because his show is already finishing up in May. While CBS said the cancellation was due to financial issues, the timing – announced in July – is suspicious, as it happened before CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, finalized its merger with Skydance Media, a deal that needed approval from the Trump administration.
Following the news that Stephen Colbert’s show will conclude, Donald Trump expressed approval and demanded that Jimmy Kimmel on ABC and Seth Meyers on NBC also be removed from their positions.
Stephen Colbert’s contract runs until May, and CBS has continued to broadcast his show since announcing its cancellation last year. However, if CBS becomes impatient, they could remove him from the air and feature guest hosts for the remainder of the show’s scheduled run.
As a lifelong TV fan, I’m really curious to see what CBS does with ‘The Late Show’ now that Stephen Colbert is stepping down. It’s wild to think that show started way back in 1993 when David Letterman first came to the network – it feels like forever ago! They haven’t announced who’s taking over yet, and honestly, the anticipation is killing me.
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2026-02-18 19:01