Stephen Colbert isn’t backing down in a unprecedented public dispute together with his bosses at CBS over what he can air on his late-night speak present.
On “The Late Show” Tuesday, Colbert stated he was shocked by an announcement from CBS denying that its legal professionals informed him he couldn’t present an interview with Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico — which the host stated had occurred the night time earlier than.
He then took a duplicate of the community assertion, wrapped it in a canine poop bag, and tossed it away.
Colbert had as an alternative proven his Talarico interview on YouTube, however informed viewers why he couldn’t present it on CBS. The community was involved about FCC Chairman Brendan Carr attempting to implement a rule that required broadcasters to offer “equal time” to opposing candidates when an interview was broadcast with considered one of them.
“We looked and we can’t find one example of this rule being enforced for any talk show interview, not only for my entire late-night career, but for anyone’s late-night career going back to the 1960s,” Colbert stated.
Though Carr stated in January he was fascinated by eliminating the exemption for late-night speak reveals, he hadn’t performed it but. “But CBS generously did it for him,” Colbert stated.
Not solely had CBS been conscious Monday night time that Colbert was going to speak about this problem publicly, its legal professionals had even accepted it in his script, he stated. That’s why he was shocked by the assertion, which stated that Colbert had been offered “legal guidance” that broadcasting the interview might set off the equal time rule.
“I don’t know what this is about,” Colbert stated. “For the record, I’m not even mad. I really don’t want an adversarial relationship with the network. I’ve never had one.”
He stated he was “just so surprised that this giant global corporation would not stand up to these bullies.” CBS is owned by Paramount World.
Colbert is a short-timer now at CBS. The community introduced final summer season that Colbert’s present, the place President Donald Trump is a frequent goal of biting jokes, would finish in Could. The community stated it was for financial causes however others — together with Colbert — have expressed skepticism that Trump’s repeated criticism of the present had nothing to do with it.
This week’s dispute with Colbert additionally remembers final fall, when ABC took late-night host Jimmy Kimmel off the air for a comment made in regards to the killing of conservative activist founder Charlie Kirk, solely to reinstate him following a backlash by viewers.
As of Wednesday morning, Colbert’s YouTube interview with Talarico had been considered greater than 5 million instances, or roughly double what the comedian’s CBS program attracts every night time. The Texas Democrat additionally reported that he had raised $2.5 million in marketing campaign donations within the 24 hours after the interview.
