Stephen Colbert says CBS pulled candidate interview ahead of early voting in Texas

Late-night host Stephen Colbert revealed that CBS pulled his interview with Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico from Monday night's broadcast due to network concerns about violating equal time regulations under the Trump administration. The cancellation came as early voting was beginning in Texas, where Talarico is challenging incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn. During his show 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' the host expressed frustration with the network's decision, noting that the interview had been scheduled and promoted in advance. 'We had a guest who is running for Senate in Texas, and we were told we couldn't have him on because of equal time,' Colbert explained to his audience, highlighting the absurdity of the situation given that Talarico was not facing any opposition candidates in the interview. The Federal Communications Commission's equal time rule requires broadcasters to provide equivalent opportunities to legally qualified candidates for public office. However, the regulation typically applies to news programming rather than entertainment shows like Colbert's. The Trump administration had reportedly taken a stricter interpretation of these rules, causing networks to err on the side of caution during election cycles. This decision reflects the increasingly cautious approach media outlets are taking regarding political content, potentially limiting the access voters have to diverse voices during critical election periods. Media analysts suggest this incident highlights the complex relationship between entertainment programming and political coverage, especially in the current polarized media environment.