Staff Reports
The tension between Steven Colbear and his own network, CBS, is reaching new heights following his latest revelations. The sharp-tongued late-night host recently explained to his audience that CBS lawyers had blocked him from airing an interview with Texas State Representative James Talerico. According to Colbear, this decision came from pressure exerted by none other than the Trump administration. In his monologue, Colbear didn’t mince words about his displeasure with this alleged suppression, pointing fingers at the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, for their role in the whole affair.
At the center of this controversy is the FCC’s equal time rule, a rule intended to ensure networks provide fair coverage to competing political candidates. Historically, this rule hasn’t applied to untraditional news avenues like talk shows. However, a letter from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr back in January insinuated that this might change. Carr indicated that whether this rule applied would depend on whether or not talk shows had political motivations, leaving a world of ambiguity for hosts like Colbear, who took this as an opportunity to throw some verbal punches at Carr.
During his monologue, he accused Carr of being driven by partisan motivations himself, suggesting that Carr’s interest in the case might have more to do with silencing criticism of then-President Donald Trump than upholding any broadcasting standards. Colbear has earned a reputation for showing favor toward left-leaning guests, a fact not lost on conservative watchdog groups like Newsbusters. Since 2022, he’s had nearly 176 left-leaning guests on his show, compared to a lonely one Republican, who happened to be the Trump-critic Liz Cheney.
The interview with Talerico eventually found its way to YouTube, where the Texas politician confidently speculated that Trump was worried about the prospect of Texas turning blue, hinting at substantial political shifts looming on the horizon. For Talerico, controversy isn’t exactly a stranger. His appearance stirred the FCC pot when he previously showed up on ABC’s “The View,” triggering another round of reviews under the equal time provision.
With Texas’ political landscape heating up and early voting just beginning for the Democratic primary, it’s clear that these media tussles are far from over. While Colbear continues to champion his cause for more left-friendly airtime, one might sarcastically propose he consider adding a few more of those “fine Republicans” into the mix. After all, variety is the spice of life—and a ratings bonanza for politically diverse viewers who love a good debate.
