"Late Show" hostStephen Colberton Tuesday night called CBS's denial of his claim that it blocked the broadcast of his interview with Texas state Rep.James Talarico"crap" — and urged the network and its parent,Paramount Skydance, to stand up to the "bullies" in the Trump administration.
Colbert's broadside came hours after CBS issued a statement on the controversy.
The host, whose show will end in May as it was canceled by CBS, held up a printed copy of the network's statement about Talarico's interview during his show Tuesday night and said, "I don't even know what to do with this crap."
He then pulled a plastic doggy bag from behind his desk, picked up the statement, tied a knot, and mimed throwing it away before cutting to commercial.
The controversy is the latest flap to spark speculation that CBS is currying favor with the Trump administration as Paramount makes ahostile tender bidforWarner Bros Discovery. If WBD's shareholders accept Paramount's bid, the federal government regulators would need to sign off on the deal.
Colbert had invited Talarico, who is running in the Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat from Texas, to appear on the "Late Show" for Monday night's broadcast.
But early in that night's show, Colbert said to his studio audience that CBS' lawyers had told him "in no uncertain terms ... that we could not have him on the broadcast."
Colbert said the lawyers wanted to avoid running afoul of new guidance by the Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr that suggests broadcast talk shows could be required to abide by the so-called equal time provision requiring broadcasters to give political candidates equal coverage if their opponents appear on air.
Colbert noted that he had put Talarico's interview on the "Late Show" YouTube channel — the video has been seen more than 4.4 million times.
CBS, in its statement on Tuesday afternoon, denied Colbert's main allegation that it had barred the interview from being aired.
Source: Drudge Report
