<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-cancelled-in-shock-decision-from-network/7b4bf8e6-1a16-4ffb-b1d8-a9836f9a7864" rel="" target="" title="Late night talk show host Stephen Colbert"><span>Late night talk show host Stephen Colbert</span></a><span> is in a war of words with the corporation that broadcasts his show over an interview he was not allowed to air.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The comedian was prohibited from airing an interview with Democratic politician James Talarico.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Talarico is running for the Senate seat in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/texas" rel="" target="" title="Texas"><span>Texas</span></a><span>, a race that polling has shown is unusually competitive for the state.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/six-names-in-epstein-files-redacted--ro-khanna-thomas-massie-usa-news/5dca7843-114e-4188-89da-dbb1f291b6fa"><strong><span>Trump in the unredacted Epstein files 'a million times'</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But CBS stepped in to stop the show from broadcasting the interview.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Under the Federal Communications Commission policy, US television stations are required to provide a balance of political viewpoints.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>CBS told Colbert he could only interview Talarico if he also interviewed every other candidate in the race.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/stephen-colbert-cbs-james-talarico-texas-senate-race-brendan-carr-fcc/2d217255-ac5b-4c78-afb2-fe00924a16f4" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But Colbert said the FCC had never previously enforced the policy on talk shows.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"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 anybody's late-night career going back to the '60s," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/ted-cruz-denounces-fcc-jimmy-kimmel-axing-abc-disney-donald-trump-news/553002a2-e656-4451-b0ff-d02fe4c35e4d" rel="" target="" title="Taking Jimmy Kimmel off air 'unbelievably dangerous', says Ted Cruz"><strong><span>Taking Jimmy Kimmel off air 'unbelievably dangerous', says Ted Cruz</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/ted-cruz-denounces-fcc-jimmy-kimmel-axing-abc-disney-donald-trump-news/553002a2-e656-4451-b0ff-d02fe4c35e4d" rel="" target="" title="FCC chair Brendan Carr"><span>FCC chair Brendan Carr</span></a><span> previously said he was considering axing the talk show exemption on the policy.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"He had not gotten rid of it yet, but CBS generously did it for him," Colbert said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"(CBS) told me unilaterally that I had to abide by the equal time rules."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>CBS for issuing a statement disputing Colbert's version of events.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The Late Show was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico," the statement read.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"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."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Colbert pushed back on the statement, taking particular umbrage that it was issued without his knowledge.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I am well aware that we can book other guests," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I didn't need to be presented with that option."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Colbert pointed out that he had previously interviewed Talarico's primary opponent </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/ghislaine-maxwell-donald-trump-clemency-testimony-congress-howard-lutnick-usa-politics-news/d2e0f01b-45e5-48b4-a22e-4b832c8dc95f" rel="" target="" title="Jasmine Crockett"><span>Jasmine Crockett</span></a><span> twice.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But Colbert said in order to comply with CBS's new reading of the equal time rules, he was unable to show a photo of Crockett without also showing a photo of her opponents.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Instead he showed a photo of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> and </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/jeffrey-epstein" rel="" target="" title="Jeffrey Epstein"><span>Jeffrey Epstein</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/trump-told-police-in-mid-2000s-everyone-has-known-about-epsteins-misconduct/bac5dfc1-d0d4-4c62-9504-86d8bc92e0b8"><strong><span>Trump told police in mid-2000s 'everyone has known' about Epstein's misconduct</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Colbert had uploaded his interview with Talarico to YouTube, where it has drawn 6.6 million views in little more than 24 hours.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That makes it Colbert's most-watched YouTube interview in several years.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>By contrast, his interview with </span><a href="https://celebrity.nine.com.au/jennifer-garner" rel="" target="" title="actress Jennifer Garner"><span>actress Jennifer Garner</span></a><span> also uploaded that night attracted just 250,000 views.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Carr denied the Trump administration tried to censor Colbert's interview with Talarico.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There was no censorship here at all," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Every single broadcaster in this country has an obligation to be responsible for the programming that they choose to air, and they're responsible whether it complies with FCC rules or not, and it doesn't, and those individual broadcasters are also going to have a potential liability."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-cancelled-in-shock-decision-from-network/7b4bf8e6-1a16-4ffb-b1d8-a9836f9a7864" rel="" target="" title="CBS announced it would cancel Stephen Colbert's show"><span>CBS announced it would cancel Stephen Colbert's show</span></a><span> in May, citing the high costs of the broadcast.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The axing stunned the television industry given his show is typically the highest-rating show in its timeslow.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App 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