Stephen Colbert says CBS barred interview with James Talarico on The Late Show

Stephen Colbert said CBS blocked his planned interview with Texas lawmaker James Talarico, citing new FCC guidance

Stephen Colbert told viewers Monday night that CBS prevented him from interviewing Texas state representative James Talarico on The Late Show, citing concerns tied to new federal guidance on broadcast rules.

During his opening monologue, Colbert revealed that Talarico had been scheduled to appear but was pulled after network lawyers intervened.

“We were told in no uncertain terms by our network’s lawyers… that we could not have him on the broadcast,” Colbert said. He added that he was also instructed not to mention the decision on air, a directive he openly defied.

The controversy stems from updated guidance issued by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr regarding the “equal time” rule. The rule requires broadcasters who provide airtime to qualified political candidates to offer comparable opportunities to opposing candidates if requested.

Historically, news programming, and in many cases talk shows, have operated under a “bona fide news” exemption. However, recent comments from Carr suggest that late-night and daytime talk shows may no longer automatically qualify for that protection. Determinations, he indicated, could hinge on whether a program appears to feature a candidate with “partisan motivation.”

Colbert noted that he and fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel were among those directly referenced in Carr’s remarks. In a clip aired during the show, Carr suggested that if hosts did not wish to comply with equal-time requirements, they could move their programming to cable, streaming platforms or podcasts.

In response, Colbert said he would release the full Talarico interview online instead, making it available on YouTube.

CBS has not publicly commented on the matter.