It’s turning into a he-said-they-said situation surrounding The Late Show with Stephen Colbert‘s interview with Representative James Talarico, as CBS denies Stephen Colbert‘s claims that they banned him from airing the segment.
In Colbert’s Monday, February 16 broadcast, he addressed viewers, stating, “You know who is not one of my guests tonight? That’s Texas State Representative James Talarico.” Colbert explained on air, “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.”
“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 further stated. “And because my network clearly does not want us to talk about this… Let’s talk about this.”
Ultimately, Colbert alleged that CBS and FCC Brendan Carr were the main roadblock in getting Talarico’s interview on air. It later ended up on the show’s YouTube page, where you can watch it in full.
In a new statement from CBS, the company refutes Colbert’s claims, “The Late Show was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico. The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled,” the statement reads, per Deadline.
“The Late Show decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the broadcast rather than potentially providing the equal-time options,” CBS concluded.
RelatedStephen Colbert Slams CBS On-Air for Banning Interview With Democrat Candidate
Talarico is running for the Texas Senate and is up against fellow Democrats, Jasmine Crockett and Ahmad Hassan, for the primary race being held on March 3.
See Talarico’s full interview with Colbert, above, and let us know what you think of CBS’s claims in the comments section below.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Weeknights, 11:35/10:35c, CBS
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