Stephen Colbert says CBS barred James Talarico interview amid FCC crackdown

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"The Late Present" host Stephen Colbert claimed Monday that CBS barred him from interviewing a Democratic hopeful amid the latest crackdown by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Colbert mentioned CBS attorneys instructed his present "in no unsure phrases" that he couldn't interview Texas Senate candidate James Talarico after which "in some unsure phrases" that he could not point out to viewers that he could not interview Talarico.

The liberal comic tied the transfer to the FCC's enforcement of the longstanding equal time rule that enables all legally certified candidates, no matter celebration to obtain equal airtime on the printed networks. Within the announcement final month, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr claimed the liberal speak exhibits, which had lengthy been exempted by the rule, have been "motivated by partisan functions."

"Effectively, sir, you are chairman of the FCC, so FCC you," Colbert quipped. "As a result of I feel you are motivated by partisan functions your self."

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"Late Present" host Stephen Colbert mentioned CBS barred him from interviewing Democratic Texas Senate hopeful James Talarico amid the FCC's crackdown of the printed community speak exhibits. (Scott Kowalchyk/CBS by way of Getty Photos)

"Let's simply name this what it's — Donald Trump's administration desires to silence anybody who says something unhealthy about Trump on TV as a result of all Trump does is watch TV, OK? He is like a toddler who has had an excessive amount of display time," Colbert continued.

As Colbert later famous, Talarico's latest look on ABC's "The View" triggered an FCC probe , suggesting that prompted the furor at CBS. He then revealed to his viewers that his personal Talarico interview can be featured on his present's YouTube web page, which is past the FCC's purview.

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Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico's look on "The View" triggered an FCC probe into the ABC daytime speak present. (ABC/TheView)

He additionally poked enjoyable at how he wasn't even allowed to indicate Talarico's picture on TV, admitting the photograph he stored displaying through the section wasn't truly him.

"At this level, [Carr has] simply launched a letter that claims he is fascinated about eliminating the exception for late evening. He hasn't accomplished away with it but, however my community is unilaterally implementing it as if he had. However I wish to guarantee you, this resolution was purely for monetary causes," Colbert joked.

Representatives for CBS, Paramount and the FCC didn't instantly reply to Fox News Digital 's requests for remark.

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Federal Communications Fee Chairman Brendan Carr introduced final month his company was cracking down on the equal time candidate rule on the printed community speak exhibits. (Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg by way of Getty Photos)

In an interview with Fox Information Digital earlier this month, Carr shrugged off criticisms from Colbert and fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel who lashed out over the FCC coverage push, stressing the company is implementing a rule that "goes again to the Fifties" and that if Colbert and Kimmel do not just like the regulation, they need to urge Congress to alter it.

"On my watch, we'll implement this regulation," Carr mentioned. "There's a lot of methods of distributing programming today that you simply need not adjust to this regulation. For those who're a cable channel, it largely does not apply. For those who're a podcaster, no. In case you are a streamer, no."

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He continued, "So if Kimmel or Colbert wish to proceed to do their programming, they usually do not wish to must adjust to this requirement or different public curiosity obligations like prohibitions on broadcast hoax or information distortion, then they will go to a cable channel or a podcast or a streaming service and that is tremendous. However in order for you that privilege of that large distribution on this public useful resource of broadcast TV spectrum, then that is one thing that they will must adjust to ."

Fox Information Digital's Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi contributed to this report.

Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox Information Digital. Story ideas may be despatched to joseph.wulfsohn@fox.com and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.