Colbert Moves Texas Senate Candidate Interview to YouTube After FCC Equal Time Advisory
U.S. Senate primary candidate Texas state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, participates in a debate with Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, during the Texas AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education Convention, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Georgetown, Texas. (Bob Daemmrich/Texas Tribune via AP, Pool)
CBS’ “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” avoided potential violations of federal equal time rules for political candidates by airing an interview with Texas Democratic Senate primary candidate James Talarico exclusively on YouTube instead of television, the network announced Tuesday.
According to a statement released Tuesday afternoon, CBS attorneys had previously warned Colbert that hosting the interview on broadcast television could trigger the Federal Communications Commission’s equal-time requirements for other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who is competing in the same Democratic primary race.
The network decided to present the interview on its YouTube channel with on-air promotion rather than comply with the requirement of providing equal opportunity for other candidates under federal law.
This action follows January guidance from the FCC that reminded broadcast television stations of their obligation to provide comparable time and placement for legally qualified political candidates when airing programming that includes such content. Under Section 315 of the Communications Act of 1934, broadcast stations must ensure that if they allow a candidate to use their facilities, they also provide equal opportunities for other candidates.
The FCC’s rules apply specifically to traditional broadcast television networks and do not extend to cable or streaming platforms like YouTube, which is why CBS chose the online channel for this interview.
