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Colbert says CBS blocked Talarico interview from air ahead of early voting

Talarico’s interview with Stephen Colbert became the center of a dispute over CBS’s application of FCC equal-time rules.

Colbert says CBS blocked Talarico interview from air ahead of early voting
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Feb 17, 2026
tl;dr

Stephen Colbert said CBS lawyers prevented his interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico from airing on broadcast television over equal-time rules; CBS said it provided legal guidance, not a prohibition. The dispute comes as Texas early voting begins and the Senate primary campaign intensifies.

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Texas state representative and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate

PRIMARY SUBJECT

U.S. representative and Democratic Senate candidate in Texas

Donald Trump
R · President of the United States

President of the United States

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R · TX-38

U.S. representative from Texas and potential Republican Senate candidate

Ken Paxton
R · TX

Texas attorney general and Republican Senate candidate

John Cornyn
R · TX · SEN

U.S. senator from Texas and potential Republican Senate candidate

Colin Z. Allred
Former U.S. Representative (D-TX)

House candidate in Texas and former Senate candidate

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CBS Does Not Air Colbert Interview With James Talarico

Stephen Colbert’s interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico did not air on CBS television and was later posted online. Coverage centers on CBS’s equal-time guidance and disagreement over whether it barred the broadcast or led the show to choose not to air it. Left-leaning outlets frame the decision as political pressure on speech and note the interview’s online reach and possible campaign benefit. Center outlets focus on competing accounts of CBS’s equal-time guidance, while some track the interview’s reach and fundraising. Right-leaning outlets emphasize CBS’s account of legal guidance and challenge claims that the FCC or Trump stopped the interview.

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