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Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr set the record straight on Wednesday after late-night show host Stephen Colbert claimed censorship when he alleged CBS barred the show from airing an interview with a politician.
Colbert told viewers Monday that CBS said he could not host Democratic Texas U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico on “The Late Show” due to concerns about potential FCC scrutiny under its equal-time rule.
“This was Democrat-on-Democrat violence,” Carr told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. “CBS was very clear that Colbert could run the interview that he wanted with that political candidate. They just said, you may have to comply with equal time… But instead of doing that, they claimed that they were victims.”
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The late-night host argued that the network’s alleged move was motivated by the president.
“Sir, you’re the chairman of the FCC, so FCC you,” Colbert said.
He added: “Let’s just call this what it is — Donald Trump’s administration wants to silence anyone who says anything bad about Trump on TV, because all Trump does is watch TV.”
The rule requires broadcasters on public airwaves to provide equal opportunities to political candidates of opposing parties.
“The equal-time rule at its core is about stopping legacy media from picking winners and losers in elections,” Carr told “The Ingraham Angle.” “It’s so that the American people can decide.”
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Carr argued that the situation was a move to get more attention to Talarico, the outcome the equal-time rule is designed to prevent.
“This was all about a political candidate trying to get attention and clicks, and the news media ran with it like lemmings,” the FCC chair said. “They just ate it up.”
CBS responded to Colbert’s claim Tuesday, rebuking that the network barred Talarico’s interview from airing.
“The Late Show was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico,” CBS said in a statement.
“The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett [D-Texas], and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled,” the statement continued.
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Carr vowed to continue administering the FCC in accordance with existing laws, including its equal-time rule.
“Perhaps Colbert and other establishment Democrats want to put the thumb on the scale in this Democrat primary for one candidate over the other — I don’t know, you’ll have to ask them — but we’re going to enforce the law and hold broadcasters accountable,” he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to “The Late Show” for comment.
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