Stephen Colbert Criticizes CBS for Pulling Interview with Rep. James Talarico
On a recent episode of “The Late Show,” host Stephen Colbert took aim at his own network, CBS, for allegedly pulling his interview with Rep. James Talarico from Sunday night’s broadcast without his knowledge. Colbert expressed his frustration with CBS’ decision and the subsequent press release that was issued to address the situation.
During the show, Colbert shared the statement released by CBS, which denied prohibiting the broadcast of the interview with Rep. Talarico but mentioned concerns about triggering the FCC equal-time rule for other candidates. Colbert criticized the statement for its legalistic language and lack of communication with him regarding the situation.
Colbert humorously responded to CBS’ legal team’s involvement in the matter by jokingly offering them advice on how to do their jobs. He reiterated that he was well aware of the option to book other guests and expressed his disappointment in the handling of the situation.
The host revealed that CBS lawyers had approved every word of the script for Sunday night’s show and even provided additional notes during the commercial break regarding the pulled interview. Colbert emphasized that he did not want a contentious relationship with the network but was surprised by their actions.
Colbert also addressed the FCC’s equal-time rule and CBS’ decision to enforce it in this case, despite there being exceptions for talk shows like “The Late Show.” He humorously suggested that the decision to pull the interview was made for “purely financial reasons” in light of the current political climate.
In conclusion, Colbert speculated that the Trump administration’s desire to silence critics on TV may have influenced CBS’ actions. He humorously compared Trump to a toddler with too much screen time, prone to getting cranky and causing trouble. Colbert also mentioned his colleague Jimmy Kimmel as another target of this suppression.
