Stephen Colbert has issued a large response to all the things that went down between him and CBS over James Talarico‘s interview on The Late Present.
Colbert claimed that CBS wouldn’t let him interview Talarico on the air because of FCC guidelines. He ended up interviewing him and placing it on YouTube as a substitute.
CBS then launched a press release saying they didn’t prohibit him from interviewing Talarico on the air.
All of this went down forward of Colbert‘s Tuesday (February 17) present, and he sat down and defined all the things to his viewers.
Hold studying to search out out extra…
“Right here’s what occurred, people. Final night time I talked to Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, however, it wasn’t on the present. We put the interview on our YouTube channel due to one thing referred to as the equal time rule, and that rule says that if a present, on broadcast tv has a certified candidate on throughout an election, they’ve to supply equal time to all that candidate’s opponents. It’s a reasonably well-known rule, however right here’s the factor, there has lengthy been a really well-known exception to that rule, and that exception included speak exhibits’ interviews with politicians.”
He continued, “We seemed, and we are able to’t discover one instance of this rule being enforced for any speak present interview, not just for my total late night time profession, however for anybody’s late night time profession going again to the Sixties. However on January twenty first, we heard from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr… he issued a letter saying he was fascinated about eliminating that speak present exception. He had not gotten rid of it but, however CBS generously did it for him and…instructed me unilaterally that I needed to abide by the equal time guidelines, one thing I’ve by no means been requested to do for an interview within the 21 years of this job. Now that call, I’ll be clear, is their proper, identical to I’ve the correct to speak about their resolution on air.”
“Final night time I did, and individuals who interview politicians for a residing discover. Anyway, I stated my peace final night time, we made some jokes that they pay me for, and I used to be able to let the entire thing go till a number of hours in the past when my group chat blowed up as a result of, with out ever speaking to me, the company put out this press launch, this assertion.”
“Now this can be a surprisingly small piece of paper contemplating what number of butts it’s making an attempt to cowl.”
“In (the assertion) they are saying the Late Present was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Consultant James Talarico. The present was offering authorized steerage that the printed may set off the FCC equal time rule for 2 different candidates, together with Consultant Jasmine Crockett, and offered choices for the way equal time for different candidates may very well be fulfilled. The Late Present determined to current the interview by way of its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the printed reasonably than probably offering the equal time choices.”
“Now clearly this assertion was written by, and I’m guessing, and for attorneys. Now I’m not a lawyer and I don’t wish to inform them the best way to do their jobs, however since they appear intent on telling me the best way to do mine, right here we go. I’m effectively conscious that we are able to guide different visitors. I didn’t should be offered with that possibility. I’ve had Jasmine Crockett on my present twice. I can show that to you. However the community received’t let me present you her image with out together with her opponents. So I’ll have to point out you this image of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein as a substitute… They made me do it! I didn’t wish to!”
“So we obeyed our community and put the interview on YouTube the place it’s gotten thousands and thousands of views. And I can see why. Talarico’s an attention-grabbing man. I don’t know what if he needs to be the senator, nevertheless it was a superb dialogue. I want we may have put it on the present the place nobody would have watched it… however right here’s what I do wish to inform the attorneys the best way to do their jobs. They know rattling effectively that each phrase of my script final night time was accredited by CBS’s attorneys, who for the file approve each script that goes on the air… whether or not it’s about equal time or this picture of frogs having intercourse.”
He then added, “Actually, between the monologue I did final night time, and earlier than I did the second act speaking about this difficulty, I needed to go backstage. I received referred to as backstage to get extra notes from these attorneys. One thing that had by no means, ever occurred earlier than, and so they instructed us the language they wished me to make use of to explain that equal time exception, and I used that language,” he continued. “So I don’t know what that is about.”
He added, “For the file, I’m not even mad. I actually don’t need an adversarial relationship with the community. I’ve by no means had one. As I stated final night time in my interview with James Talarico — test it out, it’s on YouTube, it’s fairly good — I’m grateful to have labored for CBS for the final 11 years….I’m simply so stunned that this large international company wouldn’t stand as much as these bullies.”
He continued, “And for the attorneys to launch this (assertion) with out even speaking to me is absolutely shocking. I don’t even know what to do with this crap.”
He then used a canine poop bag to select up CBS’ assertion.