Stephen Colbert Addresses CBS on Equal-Time Issues While Emphasizing a Collaborative Approach
Last night, Stephen Colbert briefly stepped backstage at the Ed Sullivan Theater to discuss FCC guidelines following his monologue, just before the show’s second act.
This discussion arose because Colbert was set to feature an interview with Texas State Representative James Talarico, which was to be available only on YouTube rather than broadcast during the show. CBS lawyers aimed to ensure that Colbert used the appropriate language regarding the situation, a request he complied with.
“I got called backstage to get more notes from these lawyers, something that had never, ever happened before. They told us the language they wanted me to use to describe that equal-time exception, and I used that language,” Colbert revealed during the broadcast.
Earlier today, Colbert was surprised by a flurry of notifications in his group chat, triggered by CBS releasing a statement asserting that The Late Show was “not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview” with Talarico.
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In the company’s statement, it noted, “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.”
Colbert reacted to the statement, suggesting it had been crafted by lawyers: “Clearly, this statement was written by and I’m guessing for lawyers.”
He further asserted, “They know damn well that every word of my script last night was approved by CBS lawyers who, for the record, approve every script that goes on the air, whether it’s about equal-time or this image of frogs having sex. For the lawyers to release this without even talking to me is really surprising. I don’t even know what to do with this crap.”
In a light-hearted moment, Colbert used a dog poop bag to dispose of the statement.
Despite the confusion, Colbert maintained he wasn’t “mad.” He emphasized his positive working relationship with CBS, stating, “I really don’t want an adversarial relationship with the network. I’ve never had one,” and went on to praise CBS executives George Cheeks, David Stapf, and Amy Reisenbach.
As of this evening, the Talarico interview has garnered nearly 4 million views on YouTube. “We obeyed our network and put the interview on YouTube, where it’s gotten millions of views. I wish we could have put it on the show, where no one would have watched it,” he joked.
Earlier in the show, Colbert made a humorous reference to a Heated Rivalry theme, relating it to the Year of the Fire Horse: “Be on the lookout for heightened tensions in already heated relationships,” he quipped.
Indeed.
