February 17, 2026
Colbert vs. the censors?
CBS didn't air Rep. James Talarico interview out of fear of FCC
Fans scream ‘state TV’ after CBS shelves Colbert’s Talarico chat — YouTube gets the tea
TLDR: Colbert says CBS blocked his James Talarico interview over fear of an FCC crackdown, so the show posted it on YouTube. Commenters blasted it as “state TV,” argued over equal-time rules, and joked about free-speech heroes riding in—while some just asked how to pressure CBS to air it.
Stephen Colbert dropped a bomb on Monday: he says CBS’ lawyers told him he couldn’t air his interview with Rep. James Talarico, a Texas Democrat running for Senate, because of fear of the FCC — the government media regulator. So what did Colbert do? He aired it on YouTube and told the audience anyway, with a side of jokes about being gagged on his own show. Cue internet meltdown.
The top comment vibe? Censorship panic. One viewer flat-out called it “state media control,” while another fumed that the government is “threatening a station” if it puts a rival on air. Fans rallied the “free speech cavalry,” name-dropping Matt Taibbi and Bari Weiss as if this is the Avengers assemble moment for the First Amendment. Others asked practical questions: “What can we do to make CBS air it?” Meanwhile, a wild-card take dragged billionaire Larry Ellison into the chat, because why not.
Policy nerds chimed in: the FCC’s “equal time” rule says broadcasters must offer equal airtime to candidates — but there are exceptions for news and talk shows. The current FCC chair, Trump appointee Brendan Carr, has floated killing those exceptions, and the FCC already opened a probe into ABC’s “The View.” Colbert blasted it as political pressure; the comments mostly agreed, meme-ing “state TV” while doomscrolling the equal time fight.
Key Points
- •Stephen Colbert said CBS’ lawyers barred airing his interview with Texas Senate candidate Rep. James Talarico.
- •The unaired interview was published on YouTube; CBS and the FCC did not respond to comment requests.
- •Colbert discussed the FCC’s equal time rule, noting historical exceptions for news and talk shows.
- •FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned networks about equal time obligations and is considering eliminating exceptions.
- •The FCC opened a probe into ABC’s “The View”; ABC also pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” months earlier after criticism from Carr.