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What to know about the ‘equal time’ rule Stephen Colbert says led CBS to pull his Talarico interview
CBS avoided triggering FCC equal-time rules by moving Stephen Colbert's interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico online, reflecting new FCC guidance expanding equal-time application.
- On Tuesday, CBS said legal guidance warned that airing Stephen Colbert's interview with James Talarico could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other March 3 Democratic primary candidates, so the network moved it online with on-air promotion instead.
- The Communications Act of 1934 requires equal-time provisions only for broadcast television and radio, excluding cable and streaming services as well as social media.
- Colbert posted the full interview online after lawyers intervened, saying network lawyers called directly and told the show it could not have the candidate on broadcast, which he referenced on Monday.
- In January, the Federal Communications Commission warned late-night and daytime hosts they must give political candidates equal time, with Brendan Carr, FCC Chairman, questioning the talk-show exemption and noting networks must seek exemptions.
- The spat highlights attempts to apply equal-time to entertainment programs, as James Talarico posted a clip on X calling it `the interview Donald Trump didn’t want you to see`.
14 Articles
14 Articles
What is the FCC equal time rule at center of Talarico interview?
The Federal Communications Commission is aggressively enforcing its new guidance on a so-called equal-time statute, pursuant to a 20th-century federal law that requires broadcast television networks to offer opposing candidates running for the same office the opportunity to speak on-air. The latest television program affected by the policy is The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, whose host interviewed Texas Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in…
Associated Press News
What to know about the 'equal time' rule Stephen Colbert says led CBS to pull his Talarico interview
Stephen Colbert’s comments that network executives pulled his interview with Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico over fears it would violate regulatory guidance from the Trump administration has prompted a conversation about how media outlets treat political coverage.
Washington Top News
What to know about the ‘equal time’ rule Stephen Colbert says led CBS to pull his Talarico interview
Stephen Colbert's comments that network executives pulled his interview with Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico over fears it would violate…
Stephen Colbert Hands CBS Bosses Their Asses AGAIN, With An Assist From James Talarico
President Donald John Trump’s approval rating just hit 36 percent! In fact, most of the polling companies have him right about there. Just historic lows, reportedly the lowest of any president at this point in their presidency. It’s been going nowhere but down, in spite of having administration loyalists in charge of X, Facebook, Fox News, Sinclair, TikTok and CBS/Paramount. All that power, all those billionaires and their billions, still losing…
Late Night Hosts Haven't Interviewed a GOP Candidate Since 2016
On Monday, CBS’s host of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert, denounced FCC chairman Brendan Carr for threatening to use the agency’s equal time rule against the late night comedy shows, which he claimed led CBS to force him to put his interview with State Rep. James Talarico on YouTube.
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- 39% of the sources lean Left, 38% of the sources are Center
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