Hi there, everybody. It's 4 o'clock in New York this afternoon, once again.

Our American airwaves are the setting for confrontation over the First Amendment,

a battlefield, really, between autocratic instincts and impulses and pro-democracy forces.

So full of courage and cowardice alike.

So we'll start at the beginning.

Last night, Stephen Colbert began his CBS program with a message.

He said his lawyers didn't want his viewers to know about.

First, just watch that moment.

You know, who is not one of my guests tonight?

That's Texas State Representative James Tala Rico.

He was supposed to be here, but we were told in no uncertain terms by our network's lawyers,

who called us directly, that we could not have him on the broadcast.

Then I was told, in some uncertain terms, that not only could I not have him on the broadcast. Then I was told in some uncertain terms that not only could I not have him on,

I could not mention me not having him on.

And because my network clearly doesn't want us to talk about this, let's talk about this.

So we'll point something out.

You might have noticed it wasn't James Talleyko's picture over Colbert's shoulder.

So you understand it was sort of a bit, a joke Colbert made about not showing Talleyco on this program.

From there, though, Colbert went on to explain the backstory behind the alleged censorship. primarily what he described as new concerns at that network, CBS, over something the Federal Communications Commission recognizes

as the equal time provision. Here's what that is. In short, radio and broadcast programs

should offer an equal share of time to any candidate in a

particular political race during the course of that campaign. Of course, there have always been

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