Stephen Colbert on Tuesday’s The Late Show pushed back on a CBS statement disputing his claim that the network had blocked his interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico.
On Monday night, Colbert had said that “we were told in no uncertain terms by our network’s lawyers… that we could not have [Talarico] on the broadcast,” for fear of potentially triggering the Equal Time rule that FCC chair Brendan Carr has suggested he may enforce. (Instead, the interview was conducted but posted only to The Late Show’s YouTube page.)
CBS countered that narrative with a statement released Tuesday afternoon, which read: “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…and presented options for how [that] could be fulfilled.”
The network added that, rather than risk entanglement in Equal Time requirements, “The Late Show decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel.”
In response on Tuesday night’s Late Show, Colbert repeatedly expressed his surprise that “without ever talking to me,” CBS had issued the statement—which he held up on air and noted was “a surprisingly small piece of paper considering how many butts it’s trying to cover.”
While Colbert said he’d never tell the “four lawyers, I’m guessing” who crafted the statement how to do their jobs, he added that they had been telling him how to do his, so….
“They know damn well that every damn word of my script last night was approved by CBS lawyers, who, for the record, approve every script that goes on the air,” Colbert said. “Very specifically, between the monologue and the second act talking about this issue, I was called backstage to get more notes from these lawyers—something that had never happened before.”
“For the record, I’m not even mad…,” he added. “I really don’t want an adversarial relationship with the network; I never have. … I’m just so surprised that this giant, global corporation would not stand up to these bullies,” and challenge what he described as FCC overreach.
“We looked, and we can’t find one example of this rule being enforced for any talk show interview—not only for my entire late night career, but for anyone’s, going back to the 1960s,” he noted. So why, he seemed to be asking, was CBS suddenly so afraid to fight it?
In closing, Colbert reiterated, “For the lawyers to release this without even talking to me is really surprising. I don’t even know what to do with this crap….”
Moments later, he did know, placing the statement inside a dog poop bag.
Watch the latest chapter in the Late Show–James Talarico saga at the top of this post.
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Paramount/Sky Dance/CBS are bigger than Stephen’s “Late Show.” The corporation still has to conduct business with the Federal Government. The difference between David Letterman and Stephen Colbert is that “Last Show with David Letterman” produced upwards of $270 MILLION per year in advertising revenue. Time were different. Stephen has never had leverage. CBS owns him and his show.
“Late”
Jasmine Crockett essentially called out KKK Kolbert and Talarico as liars yesterday
Says the federal government had nothing to do with shutting the interview down, and that KKK Kolbert could’ve had her on to resolve the issue, but didn’t want to.
Crockett is coming to the realization that KKK Kolbert will always prefer white males over Black Women like herself.
KKK Kolbert and Talarico said that Trump wanted to silence him, but the truth is that they wanted to silence Jasmine Crockett. Deeply shameful stuff. Why are they afraid to let this brave woman speak?
Crockett just had a press conference accusing of KKK Kolbert of being Jim Crow 2.0
KKK Kolbert could remedy all of this if he just invites Crockett in the next few weeks, but he refuses to do so.
WHY?
She is HORRIBLE. But enough about Stephen.
I already told you, she attacked the FCC for their latest ham fisted move of silencing Colbert!
You don’t even like Crockett! You’re just being your usual lying face self again!
Grow up!
The Ellison family that owns CBS are big time Drumpf lickers who are doing what their lord and master commands them to do!
Free speech is more important for America than the bottom line!
The Country is better under President Trump’s Leadership and you know this.
Prices are going up, jobs are disappearing, people are being murdered in the streets, and your Dear Toddler Drumpf is despised at home and around the world!
So. Much. Winning!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Another trump overreach! FCC guy , like trump thinks he can make up rules as he goes along. It’s disgusting! I can’t believe we are all living through this trump HELL. This has got to stop! Vote him and his gang out of office asap! Before he gets us all killed!!
Give ’em hell, Stephen! All these big swingin’ dicks are just Trump stooges.
man, this Ellison/Weiss collapse of seeBS has been far quicker than thought
Cry me a river of Liberal Tears. You are out of style. CBS is coming back strong. Wait and see. Change sucks when YOU and yours are EXcluded.
They’ve quickly lost a quarter of their audience since Weiss was installed as the head of See BS News, and their sinking further!
How’s all that winning going for you?
get of the air, your not funny just a political hack, do us a favor and go away!!!!
The public is on Colbert’s side! What Drumpf did was government overreach to silence someone for dare speaking truth to power!
You know, the stuff you whinny crybabies on the far right complain Democrats do on a regular basis!
For the record, there is *nothing* online about Rep. Crockett accusing Colbert of being racist, let alone holding a press conference to do it. She talked about the situation at a press availability moment (a video of which is on the page linked to below) and on Jen Psaki’s show on MS NOW, but she didn’t accuse anyone of being racist in either appearance.
The aforementioned link: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5743323-crockett-talarico-colbert-cbs-interview-boost-texas-senate-race/
But the MAGA losers here are still adamant Colbert shanked Crockett! They need help, or some more educating!
If they keep fucking with him, besmirching the trust he has built with we viewers, he’ll have sound reason to sue them for oh say $16,000,000.
Didn’t those fools learn anything from the BS Kimmel debacle?