Colbert Says CBS Refused To Air His Interview With Democrat Candidate Fearing FCC Blowback

[demmiblue]

Source: Forbes

Late Show host Stephen Colbert on Monday said CBS refused to air his interview with James Talarico, the Democratic Senate candidate from Texas, due to the Federal Communications Commission’s recent decision to enforce its “equal time” mandate on talk shows.

During a segment of his show on Monday night, Colbert told the audience Talarico was “supposed to be here” as a guest on the show, but CBS’s lawyers told the Late Show team “in no uncertain terms…that we could not have him on the broadcast.”

Colbert said the network’s lawyers also told him he was not allowed to mention this issue on air, before adding: “because my network clearly doesn't want us to talk about this, let's talk about this.”

The comedian then explained the FCC’s “equal time” rule—which requires broadcast networks to provide equal air time to opposing political candidates—and pointed out a “long time exception” that applied to news interviews and talk show interviews.

Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/02/17/colbert-says-cbs-refused-to-air-his-interview-with-democrat-candidate-fearing-fcc-blowback/

---

Carr here claims he's just getting partisanship off the airwaves, but the FCC, as I said, is also in charge of regulating radio broadcasts. And what would you know? Brendan Carr says right-wing talk radio isn't a target of the FCC's equal time notice.

[evemac]

1. That is a HUGE shame

I think this would be immensely helpful in this race, particularly because it might help move the needle towards more votes for democratic candidates in Texas. Texas needs all the help it can get, but I understand why Colbert is doing it. So wrong.

[BComplex]

14. I wish Jasmine Crockett was still going to be in the house, 'cause it looks like all of

teevee land is pumping up the Talarico candidacy against her. Crockett has been a great asset to our party.

[hamsterjill]

24. Crockett is amazing, but she doesn't stand a chance in Texas.

Talarico has the better chance. We all KNOW why, but it is what it is. In my opinion, she should never have entered the race because Talarico had already filed long before she did. This Colin Allred crap isn't helping either. He's a big disappointment.

I hope that Talarico wins the primary, and I hope Crockett endorses him and stays active. I believe she will have a long and distinguished career ahead of her. Just not this.

[awesomerwb1]

25. Crockett is great.

But no way she can win statewide in Texas.

[YodaMom2]

30. With redistricting, they've all but eliminated her district.

A House run might be quixotic at this point. But last I heard, she was actually polling ahead of Talarico in the Senate race. And a number of news items in recent weeks have described how Orange Caligula has so screwed the pooch, and so damaged/offended so many people in the state, that TX is leaning purple. So Jasmine shouldn’t be counted out just yet.

[lapucelle]

2. Since it's primary season, could Colbert simply offer to have any other "Democrat Candidate" on as well?

At this point, Talrico isn't running against any Republicans.

[onenote]

18. Yes.

Last edited Tue Feb 17, 2026, 04:44 PM - Edit history (1)

Unless, of course, Carr has decided to unilaterally change over 75 years of precedent.

The Commission has held that the primary elections or conventions held by one party are to be considered separately from the primary
elections or conventions of other parties, and, therefore, insofar as section 315 is concerned, "equal opportunities" need only be afforded legally qualified candidates for nomination for the same office at the same party's primary or nominating convention. See
Letter to KWFT, Inc., 40 F.C.C. 237 ( 1948).

[LetMyPeopleVote]

3. Stephen Colbert Goes Scorched-Earth On CBS, Reveals What He Was Told Not To Mention

The "Late Show" host on Monday night opened up about something the network "clearly doesn't want us to talk about."

Stephen Colbert Goes Scorched-Earth On CBS, Reveals What He Was Told Not To Mention

flip.it/O_ZG2d

We are actively being CENSORED.
@ms.now @housedemocrats.bsky.social @democrats.senate.gov @aclu.org @bbcnewsnight.bsky.social @nytimes.com

— (@aconcernedcitizen2.bsky.social) 2026-02-17T12:54:47.175Z

“Late Show” host Stephen Colbert tore into his future former employer on Monday night as he accused CBS of caving to Federal Communications Commission threats by spiking his interview with Texas state Rep. and U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico (D).

“He was supposed to be here, but we were told in no uncertain terms by our network’s lawyers ― who called us directly ― that we could not have him on the broadcast,” Colbert said.

Colbert’s audience booed the news.

“Then I was told, in some uncertain terms, that not only could I not have him on, I could not mention me not having him on,” Colbert added. “And because my network clearly doesn’t want us to talk about this, let’s talk about this.”

Colbert recapped how FCC Chair Brendan Carr is threatening to enforce equal time regulations for TV talk shows, which have long been exempt.

“Well, sir, you’re chairman of the FCC,” Colbert said. “So, FCC you!”

If the FCC moves forward with the plan, TV talk shows would not be allowed to interview political candidates unless they offer equal time to every candidate in the same race.

[MustLoveBeagles]

44. I love Colbert

[liberalgunwilltravel]

4. Fuck the

Criminal Broadcasting System.

[joshdawg]

11. Fuck brendan carr!

He's the censor in charge.
CBS says: ve vere chust followink orderz.

[get the red out]

5. Fairness doctrine?

I thought Rs were opposed to bringing back the "fairness doctrine"?

[mdbl]

6. Only for them.

[GiqueCee]

10. The Republican view of "Fairness"...

... is "Fairness For Me, But Not For Thee." Assholes.

[popsdenver]

19. As I recall

the "fairness doctrine" went out the window during the Reagan occupation of the White House.......along with thousands of other things, to start the ball rolling on their crusade........The Republicans have been building on it ever since, slowly chipping away at every thing they didn't want to have to tolerate........
They have been scheming this massive, horrific, Charlie Foxtrot, since they corruptly threw the election to Reagan in 1980....

The only things that are FAIR, are what THEY say are FAIR........

[Bengus81]

20. Didn't Saint Ronnie get rid of the fairness doctrine

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. Rep. James Talarico On Confronting Christian Nationalism, And Strange Days In The Texas Legislature...

[red dog 1]

46. This YouTube video has has already had more than 2 million viewers

[red dog 1]

47. This video has already had more than 2 million views .. (Dr. Heather Cox Richardson)

[LaMouffette]

8. Colbert should invite the opposing candidate on and then make an absolute fool of him, which he has a gift for doing!

Or invite them both on at the same time so that viewers could see the shocking disparity between the Democratic candidate and the Repub one.

[lapucelle]

13. At this point, the opposing candiates are Representative Jasmine Crockett and Ahmad Hassan, a sometimes Republican

candidate who ran in the Minnesota Democratic (DFL) primary for senate in 2024 and lost. The primary isn't until March 3.

[LaMouffette]

32. Oh! I did not realize. Thanks for clearing that up for me. Love, love, love Jasmine Crockett! Did you see her

on the Colbert show a while back? Here's the YouTube video:

[TBF]

34. Early voting starts this week in TX - facts are important. nt

[lapucelle]

35. Early voting in PRIMARY elections begins this week in Texas.

PRIMARY election day is March 3.

Facts are indeed important, but the point that Talrico's opponents, at this point, are Democrats rather than Republicans remains.

[TBF]

38. So does the point that Cornyn is already running ads against Talarico -

y'all are scared

[lapucelle]

41. Democrats expect Republicans to run negative ads.

Why would a Republican running negative ads scare Democrats?

[Torchlight]

48. I thought that assertion odd, as well

[ruet]

17. A Republican Candidate Is Not Going to Appear Where They Will Be Deftly Challenged.

It's bullshit.

[jls4561]

51. What Colbert should do is a comedy segment with an actor playing Ken Paxton.

I wrote a few questions for Paxton in an earlier post and I’ll give them to the Colbert show:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=3617428

[mdbl]

9. The only late show the FCC will like will be someone with their nose up the repukes' asses

Hmmm, Jimmy Fallon comes to mind.

[Traildogbob]

31. Agree

He seems to be up the ass, or sniffing around the edges do see what is allowable.
Just me I am sure but he seems over childish. Especially when his games are being played.
I would never play darts with his petty yelling and over reacting.
I do switch over to his musical guest, if Kimmel has no music.
Fallon sits on fence nicely.
My respect for him is like my respect for any “I don’t do politics” crowd.
But he has to consider his career. I understand that.
It’s not like Hollywood is racing to sign him as an actor. Unless he host a child game program on Disney.

[mdbl]

49. IMNSHO, he was one of the worst choices as a late night host.

But that's just me.

[Joinfortmill]

12. R.I P. CBS

[BComplex]

37. It's where people go to "C" all the BS they can handle.

I can't wait to see where Stephen Colbert goes after May. I know he's not going to go gently into that good night.

[jls4561]

15. I'm sure Colbert would love to interview Ken Paxton. He could ask such fascinating questions as:

Last edited Thu Feb 19, 2026, 01:35 PM - Edit history (1)

Just what “biblical grounds” were cited in your divorce?

How much does it cost to buy a Republican in the legislature?

How many commandments can one break before God chooses to smite you?

AND

Which dry cleaners in Texas does the best job on Klan robes?

[SSJVegeta]

16. Love how how he still did the interview and put it on the more consequential platform anyways (the internet)

[JohnnyRingo]

21. Fallon got slapped on this one.

Colbert mentioned that the new rules mostly concerned him and Kimmel, leaving Fallon out as a wimp.
I know Seth Myers deserves included as a voice against MAGA but Trump probably doesn't know he's on TV.

[Ellipsis]

22. Talarico posted it on X and it has 3.1million views so far on X alone

The late show average viewership is 2.65 million, oops.

[Wednesdays]

36. Streisand effect. nt

[Martin68]

23. Reminds me of censorship of the Smothers Brothers Show for anti-Vietnam war song by Pete Seeger.

[C_U_L8R]

26. Heckovajob, Brendan

the Democratic Party thanks you for bringing us more viewers.

[samsingh]

27. I hope Colbert and some friends start to buy up media

[Mysterian]

29. Some really rich friends, maybe

But that;s a good idea.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

28. MaddowBlog-Colbert accuses CBS of blocking on-air interview with Texas Democrat James Talarico

In November, Trump said late-night hosts who mock him are engaged in “probably illegal” misconduct. The ripple effects of the declaration are ongoing.

In November, Trump said late-night hosts who mock him are engaged in “probably illegal” misconduct.

It seems to me we can draw a line from that declaration to CBS telling Colbert not to air an interview with Texas’ James Talarico.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-02-17T14:16:00.289Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/colbert-accuses-cbs-of-blocking-on-air-interview-with-texas-democrat-james-talarico

With just a couple of weeks remaining before Texas’ closely watched Democratic U.S. Senate primary, there’s considerable interest in state Rep. James Talarico, one of the leading contenders. With this in mind, the candidate was scheduled to be on CBS’ “The Late Show” on Monday for an interview with Stephen Colbert, which likely would have been interesting and newsworthy.....

As MS NOW reported about a month ago, however, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr suggested a shift in the policy, declaring that shows hosting political candidates will not automatically qualify as “bona fide news” programs, which are exempt from the equal-time requirements.

And so, Colbert lowered the boom:

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, OK? He’s like a toddler with too much screen time. He gets cranky and then drops a load in his diaper.

.....It’s worth emphasizing that Colbert did, in fact, interview Talarico — it just wasn’t aired on “The Late Show” as planned. Instead, the program posted the entirety of the appearance on its YouTube channel. (Ironically, the broader controversy likely generated additional interest in the interview beyond the audience it was probably going to receive in the first place, offering a fresh example of the Streisand effect.)

The latest clash between Colbert and CBS comes against a backdrop of allegations that the network is moving to the right under its new corporate ownership, but the comedian’s comments about the incumbent president were of particular interest because of the broader pattern......

As recently as November, Trump insisted that late-night hosts who mock him are engaged in “probably illegal” misconduct, the First Amendment be damned. Two months later, Carr issued a new declaration related to the equal-time policy, and the month after that, Colbert wasn’t allowed to show viewers of his television show an interview with a Democratic Senate candidate.

Early voting starts today in Texas for the primaries. I was leaning toward Talarico but really like Crockett. Now, I will be voting for Talarico

[mahatmakanejeeves]

33. More links:

https://www.wsj.com/business/media/colbert-slams-fcc-and-cbs-priming-for-fight-over-equal-time-rules-b610cee6

https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/17/stephen-colbert-james-talarico-texas-senate-democratic-primary-fcc-trump-late-show/

[Justice matters.]

39. Vive la Resistance!

[malaise]

40. He will be on Lawrence tonight n/t

[DallasNE]

42. Hocus-Pokus

Trump recently gave a political speech to the soldiers at Fort Bragg, where he told them that they needed to vote Republican in the upcoming election. You can't get any more partisan than that.

[choie]

43. Oh is CBS now for the Fairness Doctrine?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

45. This stunt backfired

[LetMyPeopleVote]

50. MaddowBlog-'Their plan backfired': Colbert's James Talarico interview generates large online audience

Far more people watched the interview on YouTube than probably would have seen it if it had aired on CBS without controversy

Link to tweet

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/their-plan-backfired-colberts-james-talarico-interview-generates-large-online-audience

On Tuesday afternoon, as public interest in the story grew, CBS issued a written statement insisting that Colbert was not prohibited from airing the Talarico interview. Rather, the network said the CBS lawyers “provided legal guidance,” which included “options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled.”

Soon after, while the host filmed Tuesday night’s show, Colbert referred to CBS’ statement as “crap” and picked up a copy of the statement in a dog waste bag. “I’m just so surprised that this giant global corporation would not stand up to these bullies,” he added.

The host received some backup from Anna Gomez, a Democratic member of the FCC, who said in a statement, “This is yet another troubling example of corporate capitulation in the face of this Administration’s broader campaign to censor and control speech. The FCC has no lawful authority to pressure broadcasters for political purposes or to create a climate that chills free expression.”

Gomez added, “CBS is fully protected under the First Amendment to determine what interviews it airs, which makes its decision to yield to political pressure all the more disappointing.”

But as the developments unfolded, a related question needed an answer: Would all of this lead more people to take an interest in the interview that wasn’t included in the broadcast? The New Republic summarized:

Instead of including the interview in his CBS show Monday night, which the network’s lawyers had warned against, Colbert posted the interview to YouTube and other social media channels, where it has already garnered millions of views on each platform, much more than a single TV broadcast of the show, which averages 2.3 million viewers.

As of this writing, the YouTube video of the interview has generated more than 5.2 million views.

What’s more, the hullabaloo appears to have given Talarico a boost just two weeks before primary day in Texas. The Democrat raised $2.5 million in the 24 hours after the segment was posted online — the single best day of fundraising for his candidacy thus far.

[GJGCA]

52. PSA: The equal-time rule should not be confused with the now-defunct FCC fairness doctrine...

...which dealt with presenting balanced points of view on matters of public importance.

Source: Wikipedia

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal-time_rule