Stephen Colbert’s ongoing dispute with his CBS bosses
The Daily Article
The Denison Forum
4.9 • 576 Ratings
🗓️ 19 February 2026
⏱️ 8 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On The Late Show Tuesday night, Stephen Colbert told viewers that CBS told him an interview he taped with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico could not be aired. The show then presented the interview through its YouTube channel, where FCC rules do not apply. As of this morning, it has been viewed more than 7.4 million times, roughly triple what the CBS program draws each night. With his show ending in May, we might wonder if the fact that he has little to lose in his conflict with the network contributes to his willingness to stage it. If so, this would be a principle worth considering for reasons that far transcend the story it illustrates.
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Transcript
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| 1:08.0 | Welcome, and we're glad you've joined us for the Daily Article podcast on this Thursday, February the 19th, 2026. I'm narrator, Chris Elkins, giving voice to today's daily article written by published author and cultural theologian, Dr. Jim Denison. It was the unseen interview seen round the world. |
| 1:30.0 | On the late show, Tuesday night, |
| 1:32.3 | Stephen Colbert told viewers that CBS told him an interview he tape |
| 1:36.8 | with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Tolariko could not be aired. |
| 1:41.5 | According to Colbert, |
| 1:42.9 | CBS was concerned about an FCC rule requiring |
| 1:46.6 | broadcasters to give equal time to opposing candidates when an interview is broadcast with one of |
| 1:52.9 | them. The network, however, flatly denied Colbert's claim saying, the late show was not prohibited |
| 1:59.7 | by CBS from broadcasting the interview. It added |
| 2:02.5 | that the network provided legal guidance and presented options for how the equal time for other |
| 2:08.6 | candidates could be fulfilled. The show then presented the interview through its YouTube |
| 2:14.0 | channel where FCC rules do not apply. As of this morning, it has been viewed more than 7.4 million times, roughly triple what the CBS program draws each night. |
| 2:26.2 | Mr. Talariko also reported that he raised $2.5 million in campaign donations in the first 24 hours after the interview. |
... |
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