WASHINGTON—In another example of how the Federal Communications Commission’s current interpretation of equal-time rules is beginning to impact programming on late night TV, Stephen Colbert revealed that CBS declined to air an interview with a Democratic candidate.
In January, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued guidance telling broadcast stations airing certain late night and daytime talk shows that they are required to give equal time to rival candidates. The guidance could give affiliate stations a legal rationale for dropping controversial programming like "Jimmy Kimmel Live", which regularly criticizes President Trump.
The news that CBS refused to air an interview with Texas State Representative James Talarico who is running for U.S. Senate, follows news that the FCC opened an investigation into ABC's "The View" after it aired an interview with the candidate.
In Monday Feb. 16 segment of his show, Colbert said that they had planned to run an interview with Talarico until "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,” Colbert said. “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. And because my network clearly doesn’t want us to talk about this, let’s talk about this.”
The FCC has already been under fire from Democrats who allege that the agency pressured CBS to cancel Colbert’s program in exchange for approval of the Paramount Skydance merger. Paramount has said the cancellation was purely a financial decision.
In response to Colbert’s complaints, FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez issued a statement saying “This is yet another troubling example of corporate capitulation in the face of this Administration’s broader campaign to censor and control speech. The FCC has no lawful authority to pressure broadcasters for political purposes or to create a climate that chills free expression. CBS is fully protected under the First Amendment to determine what interviews it airs, which makes its decision to yield to political pressure all the more disappointing.”
“It is no secret that Paramount, CBS’s parent company, has regulatory matters before the government, but corporate interests cannot justify retreating from airing newsworthy content,” she added. “The FCC is powerless to impose restrictions on protected speech, and any attempt to intimidate broadcasters into self-censorship undermines both press freedom and public trust. I once again urge broadcasters and their parent companies to stand firm against these unlawful pressures and continue exercising their constitutional right to speak freely and without government interference.”
