Colbert, CBS feud heats up over Talarico interview after outlet dismisses reports it blocked segment

The ongoing feud between The Late Show host Stephen Colbert and CBS, which airs the program, heated up Tuesday night after Colbert claimed the network’s denial that it blocked a political interview from airing was “crap.”Colbert claimed during his Monday night show that he was supposed to have Texas Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, who is running for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate from Texas, on his show but was told by the network’s lawyers not to do the interview or even mention it.
The network denied that interpretation of the decision not to air the interview during the normal program, stating that it warned him instead that the interview could trigger the Federal Communications Commission’s equal-time rule.
Colbert said during Tuesday night’s episode of his talk show that the denial was dishonest because the network’s legal team reviews the script of each episode before it airs.
“They know damn well that every 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. “In fact, between the monologue I did last night, and before I did the second act talking about this issue, I had to go backstage. I got called backstage to get more notes from these lawyers. Something that had never, ever happened before.”
The talk show host said he did not want an “adversarial” relationship with the network, which he will be leaving in May, but was “so surprised that this giant global corporation would not stand up to these bullies.”
“Come on, you’re Paramount. No, no, no, you’re more than that. You’re Paramount+. Plus what? I guess we’re all going to find out pretty soon,” he said. “And for the lawyers to release this without even talking to me is really surprising.”
The feud comes after FCC Chair Brendan Carr issued guidance last month, reminding broadcasters of the equal access rule that requires political candidates to have equal access to broadcast air time regardless of political affiliation.

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