CBS Lawyers Blocked Colbert from Airing James Talarico Interview, Stephen Reveals
Stephen Colbert confirmed Monday that CBS lawyers blocked his planned interview with Texas state Representative and U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico on The Late Show, citing concerns about potential FCC enforcement.
The move immediately raised conflict over political speech on network television and broadcast regulation ahead of the 2026 elections.
Colbert told his audience he was informed “in no uncertain terms” that Talarico could not appear on the broadcast, and was even told not to mention the decision on air — which he defied.
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The network’s legal team, Colbert said, pointed to the Federal Communications Commission’s “equal time” rule, which requires broadcasters to provide comparable airtime to opposing candidates if one is featured. Late-night and daytime talk shows traditionally operated under a “bona fide news” exemption, but FCC Chair Brendan Carr is pressing to narrow or remove that carve-out, saying such programs may be driven by partisan purposes.
Colbert has since posted the full interview with Talarico on The Late Show’s YouTube page, sidestepping the network ban.
“I don’t think we should be scared of political interviews on late night,” Colbert said, framing the controversy around both free speech and changing FCC interpretation.
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The clash matters because networks rely on clear FCC guidelines to book political guests without triggering equal-time obligations — and this moment signals those rules are in flux.
What happens next is likely to be more legal and regulatory scrutiny, as the FCC’s position on the equal-time exemption for talk shows could reshape political content on broadcast television in the run-up to the midterm elections.