• Stephen Colbert claims CBS blocked his interview with Texas lawmaker James Talarico due to FCC fears.
• CBS denies forbidding the interview, stating it offered legal guidance regarding equal-time rules.
• The conflict arose amidst new FCC guidance that could impose equal-time requirements on talk shows.
• Colbert posted the interview on YouTube, stating the network's lawyers restricted its airing on television.
• The situation highlights tensions between corporate interests, free speech, and political discourse.

Stephen Colbert recently alleged that CBS barred him from airing an interview with Texas State Representative James Talarico, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate. Colbert stated that network attorneys conveyed that Talarico's appearance could violate new regulatory guidance from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which could trigger equal-time rules for other candidates. “I was told, in no uncertain terms, that not only could I not have him on, but I could not mention me not having him on," Colbert remarked during his broadcast, adding that the network seemed to prioritize avoiding political backlash from the FCC, according to Indiatimes and BBC.

Colbert criticized FCC Chair Brendan Carr, suggesting that the new guidelines were politically motivated and part of a broader attempt by the Trump administration to prevent criticism on air. "Donald Trump's administration wants to silence anyone who says anything bad about Trump on TV," he said, indicating that the ruling could lead to issues of censorship, as highlighted in reports by Reuters and South China Morning Post.

In response to Colbert's claims, CBS issued a statement denying any prohibition on airing the interview, clarifying that it had provided "legal guidance" on the potential implications of broadcasting Talarico, which could have required equal air time for his opponents. CBS maintained that the interview was not forbidden and that the show opted to share it on YouTube instead, where the FCC's equal-time rule does not apply, according to a statement covered by CBS News and Al Jazeera.

The FCC's chair, Brendan Carr, recently enforced stricter guidelines on late-night talk shows regarding the equal-time rule, stating that such programs must comply like other broadcasters, reversing previous interpretations that considered them exempt. This shift has raised eyebrows among commentators and lawmakers, including FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, who criticized CBS's actions as censorship and an example of corporate capitulation to political pressure, as reported in articles by CBS News, Reuters, and BBC.

The incident comes as Colbert prepares for his show's conclusion in May amid ongoing discussions around political fairness and media freedom. As the situation unfolds, it demonstrates a precarious intersection of creative expression, regulatory authority, and the political landscape in the United States, according to South China Morning Post and Al Jazeera.