CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert alleged that the network forced him to move an interview with U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico (D-TX) to YouTube due to concerns about the equal time rules enforced by the FCC. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr believes the situation has been covered poorly by the media as a whole.
Following Colbert’s revelation that he was told he couldn’t broadcast the interview as originally scheduled, CBS refuted those claims.
“The Late Show was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico,” a statement from the network read. “The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled. The Late Show decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the broadcast rather than potentially providing the equal-time options.”
While speaking on the subject on Wednesday, Carr argued that Colbert had lied about the situation, pointing to the statement released by CBS denying that they forced the interview off the network’s linear television program.
“I think yesterday was a perfect encapsulation of why the American people have more trust in gas station sushi than they do in the national news media,” Carr said.
He added that late-night TV shows rarely fall under the news program distinctions.
“The idea is that if you’re a partisan political actor under the case law, then you’re likely not going to qualify under the bona fide news exception,” Brendan Carr continued.
He added that media coverage of Colbert’s comments was a “hoax” and that he had been “highly entertained” by the situation.
“I think you guys should feel a bit ashamed for having been lied to and then just run with those lies,” concluded Carr. “I think it was an embarrassing episode for the media.”
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