Colbert’s CBS Interview Gets Banned Because Lawyers Hate Fun Too Much

KEY POINTS

•Stephen Colbert publicly criticized CBS and Paramount on February 20, 2026, for not airing his James Talarico interview.
•CBS, fearing FCC equal-time regulations amid a Texas Senate race, barred broadcast but allowed the segment on YouTube, where it gained millions of views.
•Despite his show's upcoming cancellation after 11 years, Colbert expressed disappointment with the network’s compliance and lawyer-driven caution.

On February 20, 2026, Stephen Colbert took to the Ed Sullivan Theater stage to roast CBS and Paramount for not airing his Texas Senate interview with Democrat James Talarico, citing obscure FCC equal-time rules. Despite every single word being lawyer-approved, CBS feared angry Trump administration watchers demanding airtime, citing a 'small butts-covering' legal statement no one told Colbert about until he saw it—likely held together by duct tape and passive-aggressive lawyerese. Meanwhile, CBS aired Talarico's primary rival Jasmine Crockett twice just to prove equal-time lip service, then shoved this political hot potato on YouTube, where millions clicked 'play' out of sheer defiance. Oh, and Colbert’s show is ending after an 11-year CBS love affair, but Paramount Plus’s mysterious 'Plus what?' remains the real cliffhanger.