CBS has issued a rebuttal to Stephen Colbert, host of “The Late Show,” following his assertion that the network's legal team prevented him from airing an interview with James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Texas.
On Monday night, Colbert stated that his production team received a direct communication from CBS lawyers, who allegedly informed them that they could not feature Talarico on the show.
However, a CBS spokesperson clarified the situation in a statement released Tuesday, asserting that there was no ban on the interview. “THE LATE SHOW was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico,” the spokesperson explained. “The show was advised that airing the segment could invoke the FCC’s equal-time rule concerning two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and was given alternatives for fulfilling equal time requirements.”
According to the spokesperson, “THE LATE SHOW opted to share the interview via its YouTube channel, promoting it during the broadcast instead of navigating potential equal-time obligations.”
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandates that broadcasters provide equal opportunities to candidates competing for the same office. While there are exceptions for “bona fide newscasts,” talk shows have typically been exempt—though recent shifts under the Trump administration have raised questions about this status.
In a public notice from January, the FCC indicated it had not received evidence suggesting that interviews on late-night or daytime talk shows would qualify for the bona fide news exemption.
During his show, Colbert criticized the Trump administration for attempting to stifle dissenting voices. “Let’s just call this what it is: Donald Trump’s administration wants to silence anyone who says anything bad about Trump on TV, because all Trump does is watch TV,” he remarked.
Talarico, who is competing for the Senate seat currently held by Republican John Cornyn, shared a clip of his interview on social media platform X, captioning it: “This is the interview Donald Trump didn’t want you to see.” The full interview has garnered over 3.2 million views on YouTube.
Colbert’s program, known for its critical stance on Trump, is set to conclude in May, a decision CBS attributes solely to financial considerations.
The Independent has reached out to both CBS and the FCC for further comments.
