Is the idea of “equal time” still relevant for today’s broadcast networks? The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established rules for equal airtime for political candidates back in 1934. But with the rise of cable, streaming, and podcasts, that concept seems a bit outdated now. One could argue that many viewers are getting content through cable or satellite, not just antennas anymore.
Recently, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr mentioned that late-night comedy shows and daytime talk shows, like ABC’s “The View,” might be looked into for possibly breaching these old equal-time rules. On February 16, Stephen Colbert, the host of “Late Show,” celebrated the fact that he had invited Texas Democratic Rep. James Talarico for an interview. However, his legal team quickly informed him that this wasn’t allowed, so he moved Talarico’s interview to YouTube. This video ended up being a huge hit, receiving over 8 million views, leading some liberal journalists to see it as a major win against President Donald Trump—though Trump himself never raised any objections.
During this time, Colbert expressed his frustrations in a nightly monologue about feeling suppressed and painted a vivid image of Trump as someone who gets easily irritated, comparing him to a toddler who has too much TV time.
Interestingly, CBS then asserted that Colbert’s interview wasn’t actually off-limits, stating they had received legal advice indicating it could inadvertently trigger equal-time rules related to other candidates, including Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. After that, Colbert chose to stay quiet, although he acknowledged that CBS lawyers had approved everything in his script from the previous night.
Colbert didn’t have to worry about inviting Republican Senator John Cornyn from Texas. His interview with Crockett had happened before she became a candidate, which some could interpret as a boost for Talarico, who coincidentally benefited financially from these appearances.
Furthermore, CBS News appeared to provide balanced coverage of the situation. On “CBS Mornings,” reporter Elaine Quijano shared differing opinions, noting that since the FCC announced its latest guidance, there had only been one change in late-night programming. Anna Gomez, the only Democrat on the FCC, expressed concern that this might encourage censorship.
In a separate broadcast, “PBS News Hour” critiqued Trump and Carr, implying they have a desire to control what they dislike.
Amid all this, what’s striking is that Colbert’s show actually contradicts the notion of equal time. According to NewsBusters’ analysis, Colbert hosted 230 liberal or Democratic guests between September 2022 and the following February, with only one Republican guest—Liz Cheney, who was ousted in a primary. So, that’s quite the disparity.
If you wanted to, you could almost rebrand Colbert’s show to “The People’s Republic of Colbert.” Certainly, if you were anticipating a light-hearted end to your day but instead found a lengthy chat with independent Senator Bernie Sanders, that might raise some eyebrows. Colbert has, in fact, declared support for Sanders numerous times, making it clear that he leans heavily left.
Yet, in an exchange with Talarico, Colbert remarked on the FCC’s investigation into “The View” and asked if he was intentionally stirring up trouble. The guest interactions here felt distinctly aligned.
Overall, late-night “comedy” shows in 2025 predominantly hosted liberal guests—99% of them, in fact. “The View” had interviewed 128 liberals and only two Republicans during that year. It’s worth mentioning that the two Republicans they had were quite notable figures with contentious backgrounds.
These shows claim to uphold democratic values, yet their practices convey a different message. They seem more inclined to give attention to one viewpoint while dismissing or vilifying the other.
