Colbert defies CBS, airs banned James Talarico interview on YouTube

Late-night host Stephen Colbert openly defied his own network Monday evening, revealing that CBS lawyers barred him from interviewing Texas Democratic state Rep. James Talarico due to concerns over new federal communications guidance.

The “Late Show” host told his studio audience that network attorneys called his show directly and instructed him “in no uncertain terms” that he could not have Mr. Talarico, who is running for U.S. Senate, on the broadcast. Colbert said he was further told not to mention the cancellation on air.

“Because my network clearly doesn’t want us to talk about this, let’s talk about this,” Mr. Colbert said, defying CBS’s instructions.

The controversy stems from guidance issued by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, whom Mr. Colbert called a “smug bowling pin.” In a January letter, Carr suggested reconsidering exemptions to the equal-time rule for late-night talk shows, arguing some programs are “motivated by partisan purposes.”

The equal-time rule requires broadcasters to provide equal airtime to opposing political candidates. While news programs and talk shows conducting “bona fide news interviews” have historically been exempt, Mr. Carr’s guidance threatened to eliminate that protection for late-night programs.

“FCC you,” Mr. Colbert said, addressing Mr. Carr directly. “I think you are motivated by partisan purposes yourself.”

Mr. Colbert noted that while Mr. Carr had only released a letter stating he was “thinking about” dropping the exemption, CBS was “unilaterally enforcing it as if he had.” The host sarcastically attributed the network’s decision to “purely financial reasons,” echoing the justification CBS gave when it canceled “The Late Show” last year.

The comedian argued President Trump’s administration “wants to silence anyone who says anything bad about Trump on TV because all Trump does is watch TV.”

“He’s like a toddler with too much screen time,” Colbert added. “So it’s no surprise that two of the people most affected by this threat are me and my friend Jimmy Kimmel.”

Mr. Colbert pointed out what he characterized as a double standard, noting that Mr. Carr said right-wing talk radio would not be subject to the equal-time notice.

In a pointed act of defiance, Mr. Colbert announced he conducted the Talarico interview anyway and posted it on YouTube. However, he said CBS prohibited him from sharing a URL or QR code directing viewers to the video.

In the YouTube interview, Mr. Talarico said Mr. Trump is “worried we’re about to flip Texas” and called the FCC guidance a “threat to all of our First Amendment rights.”

“This is the party that ran against cancel culture, and now they’re trying to control what we watch, what we say, what we read,” Mr. Talarico told Mr. Colbert.

The FCC is also reportedly investigating ABC’s “The View” for featuring Mr. Talarico earlier this month. Anna Gomez, the lone Democratic FCC commissioner, called the investigation “government intimidation, not a legitimate investigation.”

Neither CBS nor the FCC immediately responded to requests for comment Tuesday.

CBS announced last year it would end “The Late Show” in May 2026, claiming the program loses $40 million annually. The decision came days after Mr. Colbert criticized parent company Paramount’s $16 million settlement with Trump over a “60 Minutes” interview edit. Critics suggested the cancellation was politically motivated, as Paramount needed FCC approval for its merger with Skydance Media.