Late-night host Stephen Colbert said on his Monday show that CBS refused to air his interview with Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico due to the equal time rule enforced by the Federal Communications Commission.
But Colbert didn’t let the long-standing broadcasting policy stand in his way. Ignoring legal advice from CBS, the comedian posted his interview with the Texas Democrat on YouTube anyway.
Colbert noted the move was quite unusual for his long-running late-night talk show.
Speculating on the reason why CBS declined to air the interview, Talarico claimed President Donald Trump didn’t want viewers to watch it because he’s “worried that we’re about to flip Texas.”
The state lawmaker is running for the U.S. Senate in Texas against Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) in a competitive Democratic primary. Whoever wins the primary will challenge the Republican nominee, whether that be incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) or one of the two formidable challengers.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) are seeking to succeed Cornyn in the high-stakes primary early next month. Early voting started on Tuesday.
Under the FCC policy, broadcast networks are legally required to grant equal time to opposing candidates running for the same office. The rule provides exemptions for news segments but not entertainment segments. Late-night shows fall under the latter category.
Colbert has been frequently criticized by conservatives for inviting Democrats to speak on his show while largely ignoring Republicans. Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), a vocal Trump critic, was one of the few Republicans on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in recent years.
The FCC is currently investigating The View for interviewing Talarico earlier this month, alleging a possible violation of its equal time rule as found under the Communications Act of 1934. In new guidance on the statute, the agency said it is targeting late-night and daytime programs that are “motivated by partisan purposes.”
Talarico criticized the Trump administration in his online appearance on Colbert’s show.
“This is the party that ran against cancel culture,” he said, referring to the Republican Party in 2024. “Now they’re trying to control what we watch, what we say, what we read. And this is the most dangerous kind of cancel culture, the kind that comes from the top.”
The Washington Examiner contacted the FCC for comment on Colbert’s YouTube interview with Talarico.
Colbert dedicated part of his Monday night show to excoriating the FCC for forcing CBS to block his conversation with the Texas Democrat.
“FCC you,” he said in a direct message to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, drawing applause from the audience. “Because I think you are motivated by partisan purposes yourself.”
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is set to end its 11-year run on May 21. Last year, CBS said the show’s cancellation was due to financial reasons.
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Using the same language, Colbert took the opportunity on Monday to mock his own network.
“Now, as I said, at this point, [Carr’s] just released a letter that says he’s thinking about doing away with the exception for late night. He hasn’t done away with it yet, but my network is unilaterally enforcing it as if he had,” the host said of CBS. “I want to assure you, this decision is for purely financial reasons.”
You can watch the full interview on Colbert’s YouTube channel: