Colbert revealed that the network’s legal team had called “The Late Show” staff directly and told them “in no uncertain terms” the interview could not be broadcast.
“There’s long been an exception for this rule, an exception for news interviews and talk show interviews with politicians,” he said.
How else were voters supposed to know back in ’92 that Bill Clinton sucked at saxophone?”.
Colbert addressed the Trump-appointed regulator directly: “FCC you… because I think you are motivated by partisan purposes yourself, sir.
Crucially, Colbert noted that Carr had not yet formally eliminated the exemption – making CBS’s decision to act as though he had a unilateral one.
He then announced he would conduct the Talarico interview anyway – just not on the CBS broadcast.
Colbert revealed he was also prohibited from showing any image of Talarico – including photographs or even drawings – under FCC rules forbidding any candidate appearance “by voice or picture.” »