Stephen Colbert says CBS barred interview with Texas Democratic candidate

Al Jazeera Political StrategyNews ReportEN 4 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffFebruary 18, 2026 at 02:51 AM

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FCC reject claims of censorship, announces probe into US show The View

AI Summary

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Stephen Colbert claimed that CBS barred him from airing an interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico on "The Late Show" on Monday. Colbert stated that CBS lawyers cited potential violations of new regulatory guidance from the FCC. The FCC, under Republican leadership, recently stated that talk shows are no longer exempt from equal-time rules, which require broadcast networks to offer equal airtime to political candidates. CBS disputed Colbert's account, saying its lawyers only provided legal guidance. The controversy arose amidst early voting for the Texas primaries, where Talarico is competing against US Representative Jasmine Crockett. The FCC is also investigating whether ABC's "The View" violated equal time rules after Talarico's appearance.

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Key Claims (5)

AI-Extracted

Paramount announced in July that Colbert’s programme would go off the air in May, as it was seeking approval from the FCC for its $8.4bn merger with Skydance Media.

factual — null100% confidence

The FCC has opened an investigation into whether ABC’s The View violated equal time rules after an appearance by Talarico.

factual — null100% confidence

The Republican-led FCC said in January that daytime and late-night television talk shows are no longer considered “bona fide” news programmes.

factual — null100% confidence

CBS lawyers only “provided legal guidance” that broadcasting an interview with Talarico could trigger the FCC’s equal-time rule.

quote — CBS90% confidence

CBS blocked Stephen Colbert from airing an interview with Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico.

quote — Stephen Colbert90% confidence

Claims are automatically extracted and should be independently verified. Attribution indicates the stated source of the claim.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

ABC 30% The View 30% Jasmine Crockett 40% The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ×250% Donald Trump ×260% Texas ×260% Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ×370% United States ×270% James Talarico ×570% CBS ×480% Stephen Colbert ×690%

Keywords

stephen colbert 100% cbs 90% interview blocked 80% equal-time rule 80% federal communications commission (fcc) 70% james talarico 70% regulatory guidance 70% late-night show 60% texas democratic candidate 60% political candidates 50%