Overview
- Stephen Colbert said CBS lawyers told The Late Show that a taped interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico could not air and that he should not mention the decision on television.
- CBS countered that it did not ban the segment, saying it warned the broadcast could trigger equal-time requirements for rivals, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and outlined ways to satisfy those obligations.
- The show posted the full Talarico interview to its YouTube channel and referenced it on air, using online distribution that is not covered by the Communications Act’s equal-time rule.
- The FCC’s Jan. 21 notice signaled closer scrutiny of whether talk-show interviews qualify for the news exemption, though Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez says no rule has changed and criticized CBS’s response as corporate capitulation.
- An inquiry tied to Talarico’s appearance on ABC’s The View has been reported as broadcasters proceed cautiously, with the dispute unfolding as early voting begins in the competitive Texas Democratic Senate primary.